Scarcely had Fyren spoken than a sudden surge of mana erupted from the formation surrounding Selena. She cursed, flinching as a rune in the third circle suddenly popped. There had been nothing wrong with it to the eye, yet something in its placement had failed when stressed by the weight of the spell above it.
Borealis shrieked, releasing a burst of ice mana in the air above me and fanning out his wings, blocking my view. At the same time, Fyren's arm snaked around me. Hot, fiery mana spilled over my body, causing my breath to come up short.
The explosion came suddenly, rocking the world. I squeezed my eyes shut as the shockwave struck us hard, breaking on Fyren and Borealis. But even with their twofold protection, my insides shuddered, and I coughed, tasting blood. Within the Nexus, I could feel Adaptive Resistance flaring around Selena, devouring an endless tide of mana. Occasionally, waves crossed the threshold it could bear, penetrating to lick at Selena like hungry flames.
