Inside the Nerys Temple, which had almost lost its original form, the battle unfolded in suffocating silence.
There were no explosions. No screams. Only subtle vibrations that slowly cracked the ancient coral, as if the structure itself was holding its breath for too long.
Stacia stood in the middle of a corridor that now curved unnaturally, like a melting painting. Threads of time shimmered around her, crisscrossing into a dense web that protected Alicia and Sofia behind her. Her usually calm eyes now glowed softly, reflecting thousands of possibilities she saw at once.
Before her, Xynareth hovered lightly.
Its body was no longer fully solid. The geometric lines forming its shape kept changing, shifting into new patterns every second, turning into octagons, then into countless fractals. It was a living space, and that space was angry.
"You are too rigid," said Xynareth, its voice coming from all directions at once. "Time always binds. Space is always free."
