My body lay sprawled in the crater, back half-buried in cracked earth. Dust floated around me as I blinked up at the sky. Far above, Arkas hovered calmly, staring down like a god inspecting the mortal he'd just swatted out of the sky.
My mind kept replaying that skill.
It was… beautiful.
There was no chant, no build-up, no dramatic gesture. Just a soft whisper.…"Collapsing Heaven" and the entire world bent around his will. I hadn't even had time to react. My wings had shattered. My domain was torn apart. Everything I'd built felt like a castle made of ash.
I groaned and slowly pushed myself up.
Pain pulsed through every limb. My skin was cut open in places, and blood flowed along my arms and neck. I looked down at myself, grimacing at the damage.
"[Verdant Extraction]," I whispered.
