Nathan dropped to one knee on the slick wood, his lungs burning. He checked his wrist. Fifteen percent left in the Capacitor. The Leyline Ring was humming, trying desperately to rebuild his reserves, but his core felt bruised and hollow.
"Status," Nathan commanded, his voice tight.
"Minor cuts," Dillon reported, landing lightly beside him. The Cloud Serpent wrapped around his neck, looking sluggish. "We're good."
"Undamaged!" Mirko called down from an ice bridge. "But flying enemies lack the conviction of a true duel!"
Elise dismissed the ice stairs, descending smoothly alongside her Golem. "The final floor. The Tempest Matriarch."
Nathan stood up, forcing his breathing to slow. He couldn't afford a single wasted movement in the boss room.
"Standard spread," Nathan said, his eyes hard. "We clear this, we go home."
They stepped into the portal.
The eye of the storm was completely, terrifyingly calm.
