The clash did not stop.
The air trembled, dense with the weight of mana and the scent of iron. Sparks still hissed between their locked blades, the sound of grinding steel biting into the silence left by their clash.
Avin stared into the guard's bloodshot eyes, the red glow within them throbbing in sync with his pulse. Their weapons shuddered in the grip of both men, vibrating with energy that neither would let go of first.
For a moment, the world felt frozen. Then, a pulse — faint, distant, like the ticking of a cosmic clock.
The red silhouettes flickered again.Just for a second.The afterimages of future movement blurred and vanished before Avin could read them. Chrono's presence was still there, but faint now — observing, not aiding.
Avin could feel it. He was on his own.
