The sky darkened, and the third moon was rising fully above the horizon. The wind slid through the trees, lifting dry leaves into swirling circles.
Juuhra and Alpha stood still, only a few steps apart. Their eyes were locked, breaths calm and measured. The silence pulled the tension taut, like a drawn bowstring.
Juuhra suddenly raised his right hand. A dense energy began to gather at the tip of his thumb—pure, compressed power. Without wasting a moment, he thrust it forward:
"I don't have time to wait for you. Dark Hol."
The energy orb was released with a piercing whine. The air warped along its path; leaves and fine dust twisted into spirals as they lifted off the ground. Just a few meters from Alpha, the orb abruptly accelerated, as if tearing through the air.
Without so much as a blink, Alpha extended his right claw. With a sweeping motion, he struck the orb head-on. The energy split with a metallic crack, scattering in two directions.
