Sylaphine's Perspective:
3:27 AM - 31/12/2017
I snapped out of my thoughts and stepped forward, my hand seizing Kaiser's arm before he could take another step. His momentum halted instantly — he was all sharp stillness.
"Where do you think you're going?" My voice came out sharper than I intended, laced with care I hadn't meant to show.
He didn't turn his head.
"I said I'm going to bring Celia back."
My chest tightened. "You can't! That's suicidal. You don't even know how deep that chasm runs—"
He said nothing. The silence that followed was louder than any protest I could've made.
Luke, stepped forward with an uneasy look. "Look, I know the beast took your friend," he said gently, "but saving her now is impossible. If there was a way, we would've already—"
Kaiser's gaze cut to him, freezing the words midair.
"Who are you to decide that?" His voice carried no mercy, only finality.
Luke hesitated, eyes darting toward the frozen waters below. "Look, Kaiser, I know you care about her. But that water... it's death itself. No flame or spell can warm it, and no lure will draw the creature up. We don't even know what else dwells in its layer. You—" he swallowed,
"you can't."
Around us, the others stood silent — Lucas's fists clenched at his sides, Aliana's lips pressed thin, Eryndor's wings dimming faintly in dread.
They all looked at him the same way I did: like we were watching someone step willingly into a storm that would never let them return.
"You're going to die," I said, my voice breaking despite myself. "I can't let you be this careless."
His head tilted slightly. "Then are you going to stop me?"
The air caught in my lungs. He wasn't taunting me — he was asking, genuinely.
I knew he was being irrational. I knew nothing I said would sway him. But I also knew how much he'd already done for me — how he stood between me and the Frost Crawler's shards, how he helped me find the cure to the infection that had nearly consumed my wings.
How much he'd changed my fate in so little time.
"I'll stop you," I whispered, the words trembling. "Because I don't want death to take you away."
Eryndor stepped closer then, his usually steady tone strained.
"Look, Kaiser. It may not be my place, but… you aren't strong enough. You couldn't even fight it before. Going into its own layer— it's suicide."
Luke glanced toward Aliana before speaking again, more carefully this time.
"I don't want to say this… but you're one of the reasons Aliana still breathes. You helped save her life. I want to respect your choice, I truly do… but this is too much."
"You're an E-rank. Even if I judge myself by human standards, I'd barely be a B. And even with all of us, we could barely hold it off." His voice grew quieter.
"It's out of your limit, Kaiser."
Even if he held back his strength, everyone knew the truth: Kaiser was no mage.No enchantments, no divine blessing — just a man standing against the impossible.
He looked over us all once, eyes unreadable. Then his voice dropped, cutting through the air like a blade through frost.
"Then let death come for me."
The world went silent. Even the wind forgot to move.
"But listen—" I tried to speak, but his gaze turned to me, and the rest of my words froze on my tongue.
"Can you put my burning soul to rest?" he asked quietly.
The air itself seemed to recoil. No one answered. Even the howling winds that forever brushed these icy peaks faded to nothing.
He took a slow step forward, the frost beneath his boots cracking like glass.
"Can you save Celia... from this tragedy?"
I couldn't.
My voice trembled as I whispered, "None of us... can do it."
He turned then — truly turned — and for the first time I saw his eyes. Those blue eyes, once almost human, now burned with something darker than rage.
Murderous intent.
"Then don't get in my way."
He tore free from my grip and walked toward the abyss.
"Luke! Eryndor! Stop him!" I shouted.
Eryndor flinched at the order, his instincts torn between loyalty and fear.
Luke's jaw tightened as he stepped forward, wand in hand.
"Got it!"
With a sharp motion, he summoned the earth — jagged projectiles rose from the frozen ground, hurtling toward Kaiser with deadly speed.
But Kaiser didn't even flinch.
His head tilted slightly, his cold gaze took notice.
He moved — no, vanished — his motion too fast for the eye to follow. When my vision caught up, he had already plucked an ice shard from the ground.
The shard sang through the air, deflecting every projectile Luke fired.
Each one shattered harmlessly mid-flight, the sound echoing like shattering bells across the cavern. He didn't take a single step. He merely stood there, eyes fixed on Luke.
Luke's expression twisted — confusion, disbelief, and the faintest flicker of fear.
Eryndor seized the moment, his illusions flaring to life as a mirror-like barrier formed beside him. He moved to flank Kaiser, trapping him between reflections of himself.
"What is that—?" I started, but the words died before I could finish.
Eryndor froze mid-stride. His eyes widened, wings trembling. Then his instincts screamed — a moment too late.
A flash.
His instincts showed him what would happen if he attacked.
Both of his arms would fall, severed cleanly. Blood spattered against the snow as his body locked in shock, mind screaming but lips silent.
So he stood still... listening to his instincts.
Kaiser was already upon him.
He grabbed Eryndor by the hair, slammed his knee into his jaw, and twisted his arm until a sharp crack echoed through the air. Eryndor collapsed in agony, writhing in the crimson snow.
"I'm sorry. But it's either my life or hers. And I can't let her go." Kaiser's tone was calm, almost sorrowful
My heart pounded. This... this was impossible.
"Valtherion!" I cried, summoning the Sylaris standing behind us.
Mirana, Faye, Thistle, Nyxie, Bramble — all of them turned at once, wings trembling as frost glittered from their veins.
Valtherion's voice rose sharply. "All focus on that human!"
Mirana's hands quivered, her gaze trembling as she whispered, "His eyes..."
Kaiser turned his head toward them. Just one look — sharp, dark, and absolute.
They faltered instantly. Fear seized their wings. The air grew heavy, suffocating, as their magic sputtered. None of them could cast. None could even breathe properly.
"What... what is this?" Faye stammered.
Valtherion grit his teeth and forced his mind open, closing his eyes to push back with sheer willpower. Illusion magic swirled around him like a mirage — but then his expression changed.
He froze.
His breath hitched.
Through his spell, he saw what none of us could. His face went pale, veins darkening under his skin.
"No..." he choked, eyes wide in horror.
Later, he would tell me what he saw — a vision not of Kaiser dying, but of himself slaughtering his own family, driven by a darkness not his own.
Kaiser's thoughts — his mind — were too much to bear.
Valtherion coughed blood, wings flickering weakly. "His mind... it's death..."
He was like a completely different person.
The Kaiser before me — the human who once laughed and smiled— was gone. What stood now was something colder, detached from mortality itself.
"You'll pay for this!" Luke's voice cracked with fury. "I'm done holding back!"
"No, Luke—!" I tried to warn him, my voice sharp with fear, but he was already mid-chant.
"By the roots that bind the hea—"
The incantation cut short with a sickening thud.
Kaiser was already in front of him, his foot driving into Luke's stomach with brutal precision. Into a roundhouse kick.
The impact hurled him backward, slamming him into a tree with enough force to shake the ground. The crack of splintering wood echoed through the frozen forest.
"Aghh..." Luke coughed blood, his wand slipping from his grasp.
Kaiser didn't stop. Mercy didn't exist in his movements — only finality.
He was there again in an instant, grabbing Luke by the hair, twisting him around, and smashing his face into the tree trunk.
The tree gave way under the blow, toppling to the side as Luke crumpled beneath it.The world went still again, except for the faint, wet sound of blood dripping onto snow.
Luke's eyes fluttered. I could feel his consciousness fading. His last, desperate thought whispered through his trembling lips...
How... can an E-rank be so strong...?
I couldn't breathe. My heart pounded so violently it hurt.
This wasn't a fight. It was a massacre.
Caelum, Velith, and Aliana still lay unconscious, their bodies too frail to rise.
Lucas stood motionless, watching everything unfold with a distant expression, as though he understood something the rest of us couldn't — or didn't dare to.
No...Maybe... maybe with this much power, Kaiser could actually bring her back.
"K—" I tried to speak his name.
But he was already there. In front of me.
The cold bit into my throat — an ice shard pressed against my neck, its edge gleaming with a faint, deathly shimmer. Every drop of blood left my body in that instant.
"It's useless. Don't try." His voice was quiet, but it cut deeper than any blade.
The shard hovered inches from my skin — a fraction of movement, and it would have opened my throat.
"Your two wings and those fairies aren't far gone," he said, turning away. "Focus on healing them."
And just like that, he began to walk — toward the abyssal lake, where the waters rippled with the breath of the frost crawler.
"I still want to help you, then!" I called after him.
He didn't stop. Didn't look back.
I closed my eyes and clasped my hands together. The wind stilled as I whispered the ancient words that only the heart of nature itself could hear:
"By root and river, by sap and soul,awaken the pulse beneath the ice.Let life remember what death has stolen,and grant my sight where darkness lies."
The ground beneath me hummed softly.I felt the world respond — a faint resonance deep below.
"You can feel it now," I said quietly, opening my eyes.
"The beast. It's there... waiting in the deep."
He said nothing.
I realized it too late — I couldn't stop him. Not with words. Not with power. The only thing left for me was hope. Hope that death would spare him, if only this once.
Kaiser turned his gaze toward Lucas.
"Seems like it's my turn," Lucas said with a faint smirk.
"Provide me some electric bursts as I go inside."
"Aye aye, hunter."
Lucas's grin was faint, but there was something bittersweet behind it.
Electricity sparked around his palms, crackling against the frozen air.
I stared at them both, baffled, heart pounding.
What... what is he going to do? How can electricity help him survive freezing waters like that...?
The abyss awaited — black, cold, and endless. And Kaiser stepped toward it as if it were home.
No... I need to focus on healing Eryndor and Luke... while praying he'll survive.
Lucas's Perspective:
Just like the Rinascita trial.
I knew they had no chance. But I didn't expect him to actually hurt her wings.
"System, stop the protection ray for Sylaphine. We don't need to interfere."
「Says you. You literally told me we were going to jump in and make sure she didn't end up like that Luke guy. But sure, I'll trust the guy who just threatened a seven-thousand-year-old fairy queen with an icicle. Totally stable behavior.」
"…Welp."
Kaiser didn't even hesitate. He grabbed one of Celia's long, broken chains and sprinted straight toward the edge — then dove. The sound of the freezing abyss swallowing him echoed like thunder.
"System!"
「Already on it.」
The system immediately redirected focus downward, scanning through the chain like a current of thought. I sprinted toward the edge, boots skidding over the frost, and gripped the chain tight.
「Right here.」
Electricity pulsed from my palms, racing through the coiled metal like living veins of light. Sparks flowing along the links until they hit the water, and the surface hissed — alive, violent, and hungry.
「Analysis complete,」
「Raw lightning through water dissipates almost instantly — huge energy loss, zero precision. Also, congratulations: potential short circuit and self-electrocution.」
I grimaced. "Then why did he ask for bursts?"
「Because he's not stupid. He's using pulse induction heating — short, controlled bursts of current. The chain you're holding isn't normal; it's been modified.」
"Modified?"
「Coiled conductive alloy with dielectric insulation along most of its length — except for the anchor points. Basically, he's turning it into a localized heater. He knew you'd predict it and send controlled pulses through.」
"…It wasn't like that before."
「I was changing it while he took hold of it. He didn't say a word because he didn't have to. He knew you'd read his intent.」
I blinked, almost laughing. "Uhh... good work, System."
「I know. You're welcome.」
Still, I had to admit — this was genius.
Even underwater, local eddy currents were forming around the conductive chain. Each burst of lightning created a magnetic field, forcing the water molecules near the exposed metal to vibrate like mad. The result?
Heat. Enough to keep him from freezing instantly.
A self-heating anchor chain in subzero water. He planned that... in seconds.
The water churned, glowing faintly from beneath as my electricity pulsed through. Every burst painted the abyss with white-blue light before vanishing again into darkness.
"Temperature holding steady?" I muttered.
「Barely. Thermal gradients remain steep — about a few degrees above freezing in his immediate vicinity. Any longer and he'll freeze solid.」
"Then we keep going. Every pulse counts."
Lightning crackled through my veins again, surging from my palms into the metal chain like a heartbeat.
Below that dark surface... I could feel it. A distortion. A massive life signature twisting deep in the cold.
"System," I whispered, jaw tight, "track Kaiser's vitals."
「Already doing it.」
A faint digital ping echoed in my head.
Kaiser's heartbeat — slow, steady, unbothered.
「You know,」
「This isn't making sense... Wait let me analyze what he is wearing.」
I didn't answer. My knuckles tightened around the chain as the abyss swallowed the last trace of light.
I closed my eyes, syncing with the system's sight link. My vision blurred for a moment—then snapped into the black abyss below the ice.
Kaiser was diving straight down like a human torpedo, each kick slicing through the dark blue void. The deeper he went, the heavier the world looked. Pressure thickened. The light from above vanished, swallowed by the dark.
「Depth: 163 meters and descending. Temperature: negative twenty-three Celsius and falling. Oxygen efficiency at thirty percent. Human limit surpassed one minute ago.」
His coat fluttered around him like a second shadow, frost slowly biting at his sleeves. I could see ice beginning to crust along his arm—then reverse. The frost retreated like something invisible inside him was burning hotter than hell itself.
「There's something embedded under his coat—mechanical, compact. Not mana-based. Pulse-electric heating alone shouldn't sustain this depth. He's… supplementing. I'm analyzing.」
"Supplementing?" I muttered. "With what, a mini furnace?"
「Close. A hybrid thermodynamics' arc-reactor meets alchemy-core.」
Then the darkness moved.
A shape uncoiled from below—a shadow far too massive to belong in this world. The water itself vibrated. The frost crawler.
It wasn't like the thin serpentine version from the surface. This was its truer form—its ancient, bloated body stretching dozens of meters long. Scales like jagged shards of ice glimmered faintly, edges razor-thin and dusted with frost. Each movement of its tail left a spiral of frozen bubbles. Its eyes—two pale blue lights—opened slowly, and every pulse from them froze the surrounding water into glass.
Its maw split open—wider than any creature should be capable of—rows of transparent, serrated teeth glinting with hoarfrost. I could feel the cold through the link, my own breath frosting.
「Chain stability: dropping fast. Conductivity at thirty-two percent.」
"Then generate it," I ordered.
「Do I look like a chain manufacturer?」 System's tone dripped with attitude.
"Just do it!"
「Fine, fine, you ninja.」
The chain shimmered as new links forged themselves mid-water, metal combining from stray particulates through fourth-dimensional restructuring—tiny sparks of alchemical lightning weaving the length longer, stronger, denser.
Then everything went white.
A violent flash—pure, blinding. The crawler screamed, a shriek that tore through the water like a quake. My sensory link overloaded; static filled my ears.
"SYSTEM?! What the hell—!"
「I GOT IT!」 it shouted back, voice cracking from data distortion.
「He's using that mechanical rig in his overcoat—the scrap parts from the fairies, the mana-reactive alloys you had! He built a micro-fusion capacitor, you idiot!」
"What?! He what?!"
The image cleared again.
Kaiser was right in front of the creature, eyes like frozen blue fire, face still and merciless. The frost crawler lunged again, but he didn't even flinch. He twisted the chain—his muscles moving with deliberate, monstrous control—and whipped it forward.
The metal snapped through the water like thunder.
A burst of light followed—electricity, heat, and raw force converging into one strike. When it hit the crawler's scaled neck, steam erupted underwater. The flesh beneath sizzled; the smell of burnt ice—if that even makes sense—hit me through the link. The crawler convulsed, releasing a low, guttural roar that vibrated in my bones.
Its scales, once glimmering, now bore a black, glowing mark—burnt through, pulsing faintly like magma trapped under glass.
And Kaiser? He didn't even pause.
He just kept pulling the chain back, slow and steady, as if dragging the wrath of nature itself closer to him.
「Heart rate: stable. Neural response: steady.」「Conclusion: He's enjoying this.」
"Yeah…" I muttered, swallowing hard. "He's a damn monster."
The frost crawler didn't retreat. It shifted. The glow in its eyes flared, and the water around Kaiser solidified in an instant — spreading like a frost explosion.
The temperature plunged. Every ripple froze into jagged edges of ice, sealing him mid-motion. For a second, even the light from the chain dimmed.
His right arm went rigid, encased in thick ice.
I could see the veins on his neck tighten—his body straining—but instead of breaking it with brute force, he shoved his arm into his coat. The ice hissed, melting slowly as thin streams of steam coiled upward.
「His thermodynamic suit is compensating.」 the system explained, its tone sharp now. 「It's running glycol mixed with a water-based thermal circuit—self-heating through microfusion feedback. But it won't last long. One minute at best under these conditions. Even with your mana-reactive alloy, the issue is simple—」
"—he's running it purely off a heat source." I finished, gritting my teeth.
「Exactly. That core's burning everything to keep him alive. No mana efficiency, no recovery. Just raw heat versus the cold of death.」
Before I could even curse, the entire feed flared white again—an explosion of light that fried my sensors.
"AGAIN?!" I shouted mentally.
When the vision cleared, Kaiser was gone—then reappeared on the crawler's opposite side. The chain whipped around its body, wrapping tight as the monster roared, thrashing hard enough to shake the entire abyss. Ice fractured in all directions, fragments spinning like glass knives.
It lunged again, jaws snapping, but before it could reach him—another flash.
Blinding. Violent. Controlled.
「Hydrogen exhaust detected.」 the system muttered, almost impressed now.
Through the glare, I caught it—the faint streams escaping near Kaiser's legs.
"Wait… is that—"
「Separated exhaust chambers. He vents hydrogen and oxygen in different jets. They mix outside, far enough to create propulsion bubbles—but not an explosion near him. When he wants the Hydrogen Flash, he triggers an electrical pulse to ignite those bubbles at a safe range. Creates a superheated shockwave, blinds and disorients the target.」
I exhaled sharply, half in awe. "So basically… flashbangs underwater. Not only to heat the water, he wanted electricity for flashbangs. Same thing, I guess."
「Watch closely.」
The frost crawler flailed, screeching, its frozen scales cracking under the heat and pressure. The water boiled in streaks where the flashes hit.
I clenched my fists, still watching through the system's sight.
He was using everything—Sylaphine's blessing letting him sense the beast's presence, even in absolute darkness. He wasn't guessing where to strike. He knew.
But that also meant—
I didn't even finish the thought. Another burst came from his exhaust vents, thrusting him away just in time as the crawler's tail cleaved through where he'd been. The impact shook the entire abyss, the shockwave sending ripples all the way to the surface above.
He darted around the creature again, that chain burning like molten lightning as he moved.
「Warning: core temperature rising. Suit integrity failing. Estimated time before meltdown—forty-five seconds.」
"Then let's hope he finishes this before he becomes ice."
I grinned weakly, trying to hide the unease pressing on my chest.
The frost crawler roared, sending a wave of near-solid ice through the abyss. Kaiser didn't flinch. Every movement was calculated, precise, and deadly. He swung the chains like extensions of his own arms, each pulse of electricity making the monster recoil with a scream that split the water like jagged glass. The current shimmered with lethal arcs, every coil burning against its scales, leaving molten streaks and shallow burns along its frozen hide.
I could feel the tension in the water, the cold biting against my own skin through the system's feedback.
"30 seconds left," I muttered, almost in awe.
Kaiser seized an opening. The creature's mouth yawned wide, gills flaring in its fury. Without hesitation, he surged forward in a burst of speed, a blur in the frigid water. The pulse heating the chain burned bright, illuminating the interior of its maw. In a flash, he threaded the chain inside, wrapping it tightly around the upper and lower jaw.
The crawler screeched, thrashing violently, jaws snapping shut—but the chain held. Every attempt to bite down caused piercing pain from the electric pulses, and its movements became increasingly erratic. Water exploded around us in turbulent, freezing currents.
「Analysis: jaw immobilization effective. Pain feedback maximal.」 the system reported dryly.
Kaiser didn't stop. He wrapped the chains around its massive torso, whipping, snapping, striking with every pulse. Sparks and icy mist spiraled outward, slicing through the dark waters. The crawler's eyes glimmered with fury, veins of frost spreading across its body as it tried to twist free.
Then it retaliated. The water around him shimmered white, and a surge of supercooled pressure erupted like a blade made of liquid ice. The current slammed into him, threatening to crack his limbs like brittle glass. I winced, imagining the force tearing through flesh and bone.
「Warning: sudden ambient phase-change attack detected. Pressure spike exceeds standard survival thresholds.」
Kaiser smirked. Even in that moment, I could see it in the arcs of electricity dancing along him.
He knew this was coming.
「Countermeasure: Amphoteric Glyco-Ion Matrix detected.」 the system announced.
"Say what now?" I asked.
「Explanation: Engineered nanogel prevents ordered ice lattice formation. He mixed it into his hydrogen exhaust. Every bubble released carries anti-nucleation molecules into the freezing field. Molecular alignment of supercooling disrupted, freezing mechanism negated locally. Thermodynamics suit phase-change regulator active. Endothermic/exothermic cycles store and release heat safely, underwater. Controlled via pressure-sensitive mechanisms.」
I blinked. "So… he basically just told the frost crawler to go screw itself while staying perfectly warm? That's Kaiser."
The crawler screamed again, trying to crush him with its tail, whipping currents like blades. But Kaiser flowed with the attack, the chain striking reflexively, binding and shocking simultaneously. He surged upward between its wide-open jaws again, lashing the chains like whips to the top and bottom, tightening with lethal precision. The crawler thrashed, but every bite, every strike, only burned more.
「Observation: Frost Crawler incapacitation increasing exponentially.」
It thrashed one last time, then attempted a hidden maneuver—an eruption of freezing jets from deep within, a near-instant iceberg forming around him. The water compressed, sending Kaiser spinning, pushing against the supercooled jets that could have shattered any human spine instantly.
I tensed.
He was going to get obliterated.
But the suit held. The nanogel-infused exhaust, the chain pulses, the phase-change system—all of it combined in perfect symphony. He twisted, anchored the chain to the crawler's midsection, and with a calculated burst of hydraulic propulsion from his suit, snapped the creature's frozen appendages against its own body. The shockwave reverberated, the crawler's shrieks deafening through the water, the freezing water cracking violently like ice on a winter lake.
Kaiser moved like he owned the abyss. Every attack retaliated with a counter, every attempt to harm him fell short. He was underwater death incarnate, a blur of metal, chain, electricity, and sheer merciless will.
I swallowed hard. "10 seconds remaining"
「Probability of victory: Increasing. Frost Crawler incapacitation imminent. Warning: sustained exposure limits approaching.」
I could feel it—the apex predator finally cornered.
And still, Kaiser smiled under the water.
I felt my chest tighten, the pulse of the battle vibrating through the air and the frozen water. My breath caught as I saw him—Kaiser—surfacing, every motion brutal and precise. Even through the layers of frost clinging to his body, the scars and burns already etched into his skin, he moved like he had no weight, no limit, like he was the predator now.
8 Seconds Left
System whispered in my mind, calm but cutting, 「Detected: Kaiser has tied the Frost Crawler fully around the chains. Recommend retreat from Abyssal Pond.」
I stepped back instinctively, still sending electric pulses into the water, feeling the heat of his struggle and the chill of the surrounding abyss.
I noticed Sylaphine—ageless, ethereal—kneeling, her hands glowing faintly. Her magic swept over the fallen, weaving back life into Eryndor and Luke. I could see their eyes flutter open, confusion and awe painting their faces as they took in the aftermath.
3 Seconds Left
Even she seemed caught, a flicker of disbelief crossing her usually serene features.
System noted, 「Spell she cast on Kaiser earlier allows her to feel all surrounding energy flows. She is aware of Kaiser and Frost Crawler, even without visual confirmation.」
0 Seconds left
I turned back toward the abyss, waiting, pulse steadying despite the spectacle. The air was thick with tension, every crack of ice and splash of water amplified.
-3 Seconds
And then—he exploded from the pond. The frozen water shattered around him like a storm. His body gleamed white from the frost that had finally been broken, and red streaked across him from hyperthermia, muscles twitching as blood and heat fought the cold. Every movement screamed survival and fury.
I smirked, letting go of the chain, electricity sparking faintly as it met the ice.
He landed several meters away, water cascading off him in broken shards, and turned toward us, blue eyes sharp, cold, and merciless.
"Who the hell do you think I am?!"
The chain rattled violently across his shoulder as he yanked it with sheer, impossible strength. The ground shook under the pull, the Frost Crawler groaning in resistance. Its massive body scraped along the frozen pond, scales cracking under the weight, each movement sending echoes of destruction across the clearing. The chain froze partially, heavier with the water's chill, yet he continued, every sinew straining, every heartbeat a defiance.
I watched, wide-eyed, heart hammering, the world narrowing to the sound of ice cracking and the beast screaming behind him.
Luke's voice cut through the stunned silence, barely a whisper:
"How… how can a human be this strong…?"
He was no ordinary human.
I stepped closer, my own hands tingling with residual magic, whispering softly, "I… I feel it. It's almost done… he will bring it down."
Even as I spoke, I couldn't tear my eyes from him. The Frost Crawler's body strained against the chains, snow and ice flying in every direction, yet he stood firm, unyielding.
Then I felt it—the pulse of raw, unrelenting will radiating off him, and I knew Sylaphine felt it too, the sheer certainty of a predator finally in control of its prey.
Her voice, low and awed, barely above a whisper, cut through my thoughts:
"He… he is… extraordinary."
Then he....