The air exploded.
It did not burst outward.
It collapsed.
Alex's aura did not flare like fire. It descended.
A silent, crushing force dropped onto Kaelith like an invisible mountain falling from the sky.
The marble floor shattered beneath her boots.
Her knees slammed against the ground.
Crack.
The impact spider-webbed outward in violent fractures.
Her breath hitched.
The pressure was suffocating.
Her lungs refused to expand properly. Each inhale scraped like broken glass inside her chest.
Her wings trembled violently behind her, feathers shaking under the unbearable weight pressing down on her existence itself.
'Impossible…'
Her crimson eyes widened.
'How is he so strong…?'
This was not the power of a mere human.
This was not even the pressure of a high-ranking demon.
It felt ancient.
Overwhelming.
Absolute.
Alex began walking toward her.
Slowly.
Each step echoed softly against the fractured marble.
Step.
Crack.
Step.
Crack.
