The black fog that had swallowed Auren's body cracked from the inside. First a ripple, then a violent tear, until the darkness itself split apart like shredded cloth. A hiss burned the air—purple flames leaked from his left eye. It was not fire of this world, no heat, no smoke, only raw force shaped like flame.
Auren stood there, chest heaving, shoulders hunched. But his gaze… sharp, merciless. That single eye burned as if it carried the will of something older than life.
Gasps erupted through the giant hall. For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Nyra's lips parted, her throat dry. "That… pressure…"Nova's brush halted mid-stroke, ink dripping from his fingers. Even Dax, who had fought death itself more than once, clenched his jaw. His iron veins pulsed like they recognized the storm.
Above them, Aazin stumbled a step back in the very air, as if the space itself bent under that flame. Ryzin's grin cracked into silence. His eyes narrowed, reading what others could not.
