The Harbinger’s Return

The elf paid no mind to the newcomer's words. His golden eyes remained steady, and his expression was unreadable.

The flames crackled around them, casting long, shifting shadows against the fractured walls of the chamber. The air was thick with heat, distorting the space between them, but neither moved—both waiting, both measuring the other.

Then, without warning, the newcomer lunged first.

A blur of raw force, he crossed the space between them in an instant, cutting his fist through the heated air like a cannonball. Sylas barely had time to shift his stance before the blow came. He raised an arm in defense, and at the moment of impact, a barrier of water surged into existence between them, rippling outward like a tidal wave.