[Kyle's POV]
The world snapped back into focus with a jolt.
One second. Nothing but darkness. The whisper of that storm goddess's lips on my head.
The next... pain.
Real, sharp, searing pain that lit every nerve in my body on fire.
I gasped, coughing blood. My ribs screamed with every breath, my vision still swimming.
But the moment I forced my eyes open. Everything else faded.
Because Rodrick was standing over Cedric.
His flaming sword raised, his face twisted in delight. Like a man about to squash a bug.
Cedric wasn't moving. His golden hair was stained with blood. His breathing, shallow and fading.
And Rodrick... He was smiling.
Something inside me snapped.
No.
It didn't snap.
It ignited.
I didn't think. I didn't feel.
I just moved.
BOOM.
The ground beneath me shattered. Dust and broken rock burst upward as my feet tore into the earth, launching me forward faster than thought.
The air howled past my ears. My body burned with speed.
