A commotion soon began to stir as Aron's body, seated in deep meditation, started to shine.
Above him, an enormous illusory figure of himself appeared in the sky, also seated in the same meditative pose, eyes closed, radiating silent majesty.
Thunder rolled.
Rings of lightning rippled angrily across the heavens, tearing the morning sky apart.
The once lush forest, the greenery, and everything within it vanished, as though an unseen dome had been shattered, revealing an endless desert stretching beyond sight.
Aron's real body remained seated, trails of blood running down his cheeks as his glow intensified into a blinding white.
His illusionary form in the sky mirrored him perfectly, growing larger and brighter, towering above the barren wasteland.
Around him, his clones stood firm, expressionless despite being cast into this barren wasteland.
They formed a protective formation, unmoving and unyielding, their sole purpose clear: to defend their master.
