Crystals jutted from the ground like frozen lightning and their surfaces were reflecting.
Kael's boots crunched against the gravel as he reached the outer ridge.
His breath fogged in the cooling air.
Behind him, the echo of distant fights rolled through the valley.
Explosions, roars, and flashes of light marked the locations of the scattered first-year teams still battling within the labyrinthine terrain.
Kael adjusted the strap of his sword and glanced over his shoulder.
Some students were already retreating through the formation gate, limping, tired, and clutching glowing demon cores in trembling hands.
The teleportation terminal at the valley's entrance flared each time someone crossed it, sending ripples of white light through the mist.
He looked back toward the valley's inner gorge.
The towering crystal spires glimmered faintly, and for a brief moment, Kael swore he saw something, a shadow moving between the lights, like a flicker of intent.
