Albert recoiled before Kali could finish the stroke, space wrenching him out of her reach. Blood streamed from the deep wound across his neck, but he seemed oblivious to it.
His gaze wandered over the luminous gates and the shattered valley, his expression carrying a bewilderment that hadn't been there before.
He looked down at Elion, and his eyes trembled.
Whatever he had experienced within that fleeting nightmare had left something behind. The composure with which he had dismissed their attacks was gone, replaced by a grim certainty.
"You must die here."
Elion had barely registered the words when the air before him split apart and Albert emerged through the fissure.
A cold feeling of dread seized Elion. He couldn't raise his sword in time, if it could even help him. His exhausted mind barely perceived the approaching hand, yet every instinct in his body screamed that letting it reach him would mean death.
He forced his ocular abilities awake.
Flames of Finality!
