Silence lingered between Asher and Ryaen, heavy and unbroken, as Asher remained doubled over, Ryaen's bone claws buried deep within his gut. For a moment, neither moved.
Ryaen's black gaze fixed on him, her expression unreadable, while Asher stood frozen, as though stunned by the reality of his wound.
"It was enjoyable while it lasted, Tenth Sun… but it seems this is my victory." Her voice reverberated across the desolate lakebed, sharp and final.
But, before the echo faded, the air itself seemed to rupture. Ryaen felt it, an earth-shattering force detonating against her own gut as Asher's fist drove mercilessly into her frame.
In an instant, her body was wrenched backward, inertia dragging her like a torn, weightless kite flung into a storm. She was hurled from the lakebed, her body smashing into the shoreline, ricocheting violently through the forest beyond.
