The platform was quiet except for the sound of stone settling and the distant echo of wind moving through the ravine below. Noel stood at the center of the carved circle, Revenant Fang still drawn, the blade catching the last light of the afternoon as it filtered between the peaks. Around him, the remains of the last creature lay scattered across the rock in heavy, unmoving pieces.
Noir settled beside him slowly, her breathing steadier now than it had been an hour ago. The fight had pushed her. Both of them. The creature had been faster than expected, its body adapted to the altitude and the unstable mana currents in ways that made conventional spellwork unreliable. Noel had spent more energy than he intended, adjusting mid-combat, abandoning two approaches entirely before finding the one that worked.
He wiped the blade clean against the stone and slid it back into its sheath.
"Status."
The translucent window appeared without ceremony.
