Kain stared across the battlefield, vision hazy from the pressure of Cassian's gift and exhaustion. He couldn't even stand straight, let alone fight. His hands were trembling, his body soaked with sweat. And yet, somehow, the Threads of Destiny remained active, their faint strands weaving across the broken arena.
Most were black—harbingers of doom. But that single white thread remained, hovering like the last beam of moonlight in a storm.
There was only one move left.
He looked across the field. Aegis was still there, or at least, most of him was. The wooden dragon had flung him across the battlefield again, leaving behind a trail of stone fragments. Yet Kain could still sense the contract's presence through their link. Despite the brutal damage, despite the overwhelming domain, Aegis was still mentally lucid and reassuring Kain not to worry about him.
