Scene 1 – The Herald's Wrath
The storm boiled higher than ever, the Tower itself groaning under the assault. Lightning ripped the sky into jagged veins, and wind shredded the fractured battlefield.
The Herald stood at the epicenter, aura pulsing like molten metal. Its claws crackled with pure energy, shadow and lightning intertwining in a deadly dance. It hissed, voice rolling like thunder:
Enough testing. Enough delay. Now… I will break you.
Jemil tightened his grip on his blade. The Mark seared hotter than ever, threatening to push him into instinctive, predator-driven strikes. Every fiber of his body screamed to surrender.
But he glanced at the swordmaster beside him. Her eyes blazed, unflinching, hands steady on her katana.
Not yet, he thought. Not while she fights beside me.
With a roar, the Herald charged, faster than thought, claws slashing through the air. The ground erupted beneath it, molten stone flying in every direction.
