The arena fell into a profound and absolute silence, yet it was not the silence of boredom or fading interest. Instead, it was the kind of silence that descended when every instinct within every observer aligned toward a single, undeniable realization. No one spoke, not because they had nothing to say, but because they understood—deep within themselves—that this moment demanded stillness.
This was the final turning point.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier with each passing second, as though it had thickened under the pressure of the forces gathering within the battlefield. Every fragment of energy, every trace of power that had been exchanged throughout the fight, now felt as though it had been drawn inward and compressed into the narrow space that separated the two figures standing at the center.
Aether and Valen.
