The collision broke wrong.
For a heartbeat, Noel expected resistance—chains snapping, void chewing through metal, the erase-line forcing its way forward. Instead, the pressure folded.
Part of the Second Pillar's chains collapsed inward, not away from the void but into it, links twisting and compressing as if they were being swallowed on purpose. The erase-line skewed, dragged off its intended path, its clean trajectory bent just enough to miss the point Noel had aimed for.
His breath hitched.
'What—'
The rhythm shattered.
Before he could correct, the remaining chains moved—fast, brutally simple. No feints. No patterns. One thickened segment surged forward like a battering ram, all weight and intent.
It hit him square in the chest.
The impact drove the air from his lungs in a soundless burst. Pain detonated inward, sharp and deep, like something had caved instead of cracked. Noel was lifted off his feet and thrown back hard, the world blurring as stone rushed up to meet him.
