The air in the chamber did not just grow heavy; it became a solid, suffocating entity. The transformation of Horizon was not a mere powering up; it was a fundamental rewriting of the local reality. He became the chamber's new, terrible heart. The stolen light of the Geomantic Core pulsed through his silver form, and the jagged wings of energy unfolding from his back were not appendages but expressions of pure, destructive law. The shadows they cast did not fall upon the walls; they consumed them.
"Elara, behind me!" Kael shouted, his voice modulator straining. It was a futile, instinctual command. There was no 'behind' that was safe.
Horizon's form simply ceased to be in one location and recomposed itself another, standing over the smoldering form of Varin. The Steward groaned, one hand feebly trying to summon a wisp of golden mana, his eyes burning with defiance even in ruin.
"Your… arrogance… will be your end…" Varin rasped, blood bubbling at his lips.
