was a storm. Threads of silver and deep crimson spiraled from his skin, fusing in the air into a shape that made Kaelen's stomach tighten. This wasn't one of the sanctioned patterns they'd studied.
"Lior, stop!" Elyra's voice cut through the charged air. "That weave will eat you alive!"
But Lior didn't listen. His teeth clenched, and every muscle in his jaw stood out as the Code stretched into something raw, unfinished—hungry.
The ash creatures shifted backward, their forms flickering as if caught between here and somewhere else. One reached out—not to attack, but as if to block his path. Its touch came within a finger's breadth of his skin… and burned away in the silver-crimson flare.
Kaelen saw the blood drip from Lior's nose. "Damn it—he's forcing a Resonance Burn."
The ground trembled as the weave finalized—five interlocking sigils spinning like jagged gears. The air warped, smelling of molten stone and rain.
"Hold her still," Lior growled.
Kaelen and Sylvi darted to the girl's side, slicing through the last vines. The moment they pulled her free, Lior slammed his glowing hand to the ground.
The sigils detonated in a silent pulse—soundless, yet felt. The ash creatures froze mid-motion, their shapes unraveling into spirals of dust that rose like smoke toward the treetops.
And then… whispering. Dozens of voices, all murmuring thanks, all fading into the wind.
When it was over, Lior staggered, nearly falling. Elyra caught his arm. "You just burned a year off your life," she hissed.
He smirked faintly, even as his knees gave way. "Worth it."
The girl's eyes fluttered open. And in a hoarse, terrified whisper, she spoke the words that would change their path entirely:
"They're not gone… they're waking up."