A silence followed the crash, heavy and stretched, broken only by the crumbling of stone and the faint wind blowing over the ruined skyline. I hovered above the crater, letting the silver Essence slowly fade from my legs. My breath was calm. Controlled.
Then—
"You…"
David's voice echoed out, raw and cracked.
A moment later, he shot out of the crater in a burst of wild repulsion, his body bruised, his expression twisted in fury. His hair flew wildily, one shoulder torn, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.
"You…You….you," he growled, eyes wide with disbelief. "You mastered my law."
He pointed at me, hand trembling from outrage. "That law took me decades to shape. To feel. To control. I built it from the bones of failure. I broke my body to earn it."
I said nothing. My domain remained open, my wings spread quietly behind me. The runes were still glowing, softly observing, gently recording every shift in force around him.
He lunged.
"You don't deserve it!"
