Both of his hands came up, fingers splayed wide and trembling with strain.
The ground beneath his feet cracked from the sheer output of mana as dozens of fiery bolts formed around him—each one pulsing like a miniature sun.
Then he fired.
A barrage of searing bolts screamed toward me, each one bright enough to leave streaks in my vision, filling the clearing with blinding light and heat.
I sprinted sideways, dodging the incoming blasts just in time.
Each one struck the ground behind me with a violent crack, erupting into plumes of fire and smoke that rolled through the trees like a living storm. Splinters and embers hissed past my face as I darted between the trunks, boots pounding against the uneven forest floor.
