Ethan's pupils contracted sharply.
That low, eerie laughter still echoed from beyond the cave—
But he could feel it now.
The power. Drawing closer with every heartbeat.
The air trembled.
Even the stone walls began to shed dust and pebbles, shaken loose by the pressure.
A force beyond words punched through the energy barrier and slammed into his body, like a thousand-ton hammer rampaging through his insides.
"Shit…"
Ethan clenched his teeth, cold sweat sliding down his temple.
This wasn't ordinary pressure. It was a presence that could tear a soul apart.
A few seconds more, and his body would've ruptured under the sheer violence of it.
Instinct took over.
He thrust out both hands and unleashed his full power.
Auri and Idra's forms dissolved into twin streams of light—
Warm as starlight, they surged into his chest.
The boundaries of his soul melted away. Three distinct energies collided inside him, fusing in a storm of raw force.
In that instant, the world split open.
