The Lightning District felt wrong the moment Jin Yue materialized.
Blue-white arcs crawled across fractured towers like living veins. Conductive bridges crackled faintly beneath his boots. The air itself vibrated, charged and restless, carrying the sharp metallic scent of ozone. Every breath felt thinner, sharper.
He did not like this district.
Lightning amplified impulse. It rewarded aggression. It punished hesitation.
And something inside him...sealed, contained...tightened faintly in response.
He exhaled slowly, stabilizing his pulse.
Ten minutes was the threshold.
He would not linger.
Better to cross into Wind or Neutral. Water would risk resonance fluctuation. Earth was safer, but unpredictable relocation meant no guarantees.
He stepped lightly across a rotating bridge platform, adjusting his footing as it tilted. Sparks snapped beneath him, reacting to proximity.
Then...
A surge of lightning split the air ahead.
Followed by a voice.
