Noxhart shook its head without answering.
Pitch-black clouds rose beneath its feet, quickly spreading wide enough to carry both deer. It stepped onto the cloud and tilted its head at Vesperhart.
"Coming? Let's go see how he's doing."
Vesperhart hesitated before joining it. It stayed at the very edge of the cloud, the clocks in its eyes turning slowly as it kept watch on their surroundings.
Below, Andona finally carried Ethan back within the group's defenses.
The instant she caught him, the energy sphere that had sunk into Noxhart's body produced a response. A flood of information poured into Ethan's mind through the connection between their energies. Noxhart's abilities unfolded one after another—far more than he had expected.
There were too many.
The workings of countless powers crammed into his head at once. Before Ethan could warn the others, the torrent overwhelmed his consciousness.
His eyes closed, and his body went limp in Andona's arms.
