The final Divine Thunderbolt descended, this time there was no explosion, no deafening roar, and no blinding flash that split the heavens. Instead… the entire world became lightning.
For one immeasurable instant, the distinction between heaven and earth disappeared. The floating islands, the mountains, the endless sea of clouds, even the distant horizon....all of it dissolved into a boundless ocean of brilliant blue-white radiance.
Vaelric could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet. He could no longer hear the storm; he could not even feel his own heartbeat… there was only light.
An ancient, overwhelming force surged through every fiber of his being, tearing through his flesh, racing along his veins, sinking into his bones as though searching every hidden corner of his existence.
Agony followed. Not the agony of burned skin or broken bones. This pain reached far deeper; it felt as though his soul itself had been placed inside a forge.
