The fractured reality zones around Maria and Vex continued to shift and collapse, each pocket of altered physics demanding concentration to maintain. Maria felt sweat mixing with blood as it ran down her face, the strain of keeping multiple contradictory realities stable pushing her abilities to their limits.
'This isn't working,' she thought desperately, watching Vex's fragmented form reassemble itself after their last exchange. 'She adapts too quickly to environmental changes. I'm burning through my strength too fast.'
Vex's pieces flowed back together like mercury finding its natural shape, her cruel smile reforming as her consciousness settled back into a single form. "Growing tired already?" she taunted, wiping blood from her reformed mouth. "I've fought reality-benders before, child. They all make the same mistake—they think altering the battlefield guarantees victory."
