Alister's golden flames crackled, jagged tendrils of light snapping like whips, casting erratic shadows across the shattered street.
He floated several feet above the ground, his body rigid, arms crossed loosely over his chest, his head tilted slightly as if appraising a broken toy.
His cold, merciless eyes locked onto Kai, glinting with disdain, as if the man below were nothing more than a scurrying insect.
"Says the man who threw away his life for a girl who was only using him. How did that turn out again? Did you ever manage to save her, or did she die pathetically after that?"
Kai's lips twitched into a faint, defiant grin, though his jaw tightened, betraying a flicker of rage.
The red mana swirling around him flared hotter, coiling like molten serpents around his arms and legs, the air shimmering with heat.
