The instant Percy shifted his weight forward, the air itself seemed to tear.
Before either of them could properly commit to an opening strike, a crushing surge of glacial pressure erupted outward from Percy's position. It wasn't announced by sound or visible motion—it simply was, a sudden overwhelming presence that swallowed the space between them whole. The platform vanished beneath a violent bloom of frost mist, exploding outward in every direction. This wasn't smoke, nor was it ordinary fog. It was dense and suffocating, layered with biting cold that clawed at exposed skin and dampened sound until even the echo of breath felt muted. In less than a blink, the entire stage was consumed, reduced to a white-blue void where distance collapsed, depth lost meaning, and direction became an unreliable concept.
Liam reacted on instinct alone.
