Wings unfurled behind him—massive, razor-edged things that shimmered with holy light, yet bled shadows as dark and heavy as sin. The feathers gleamed like blades, each one humming with a power that didn't belong to any single realm.
Just standing there, he radiated a cold, bone-deep dread that gripped the hearts of even the bravest soldiers.
"You filthy lower creatures…" His voice was a snarl, barely human. "You dare return here?"
It rose into a roar. "Looking to die? This time, I'll tear you apart with my own hands!"
His fury exploded outward, a shockwave of raw power that rippled through the air.
Then he raised one hand—and in it, energy compressed into a massive sphere, pulsing and unstable. It hovered above him, light swirling inside like a storm trapped in glass. The sky itself seemed to bend toward it, drawn by its gravity.
If that thing dropped—
The entire Emerald Castle army could be wiped out in an instant.
Ethan's breath caught.
He knew this presence.
