CHAPTER 148 - Finally Over?

The battlefield lay silent, save for the faint crackling of dissipating violet energy. The air was thick and heavy with the stench of scorched earth and ozone. 

A dull haze of smoke curled lazily into the darkening sky, and the acrid smell of destruction stung the nose like a bitter memory. The once-vibrant clearing was now a desolate wasteland, a vast crater carved into the earth, its jagged edges glowing faintly from residual heat.

Alex lay motionless on the edge of the devastation, his body slack and trembling. The violet energy that had once roared through him had faded, leaving only faint wisps of light curling from his skin. He was unconscious.

On the far side of the battlefield, Zahara's fiery form flickered with exhaustion, her breaths ragged and uneven as she faced the lone remaining assassin. The air around her shimmered with heat waves, distorting the edges of her silhouette, yet her red eyes remained sharp and focused.