Chapter 33: Ceremony (2)
Emily Lionheart stood before us, her mere presence eclipsing everything that came before. Even the glowing runes etched into the marble walls seemed dimmer now, as though yielding to her aura.
The heat was subtle but not suffocating, not unbearable but present. Like standing a few feet from a bonfire on a winter's night. It made the air shimmer faintly, distorting the space around her.
And the cadets felt it.
I heard a sharp gasp somewhere in the crowd. Another cadet clutched at his chest, eyes wide, his breath coming faster. Whispers spread like sparks leaping from dry wood.
"She's… she's suffocating me just by standing there…"
"No… that's her mana leaking, right? It has to be…"
"She's controlling it. This is her holding back."