Duo

At the same time, Kiera and Vael engaged their own foe.

Good, Vael thought, a flicker of anticipation rising beneath his calm expression. I can test it out…

This would be the first time he used his Spatial Awareness in an actual fight.

Since he discovered the ability, Vael had trained it relentlessly. Hours spent walking blind, reaching out with mana, forcing his brain to process two realities at once — his sight and his sense of space.

Now, it took no effort to activate. The sensation slid over him like a second skin. Two worlds layered on top of each other: one he could see, and one he could feel.

The moment he blinked forward, he was already inside the field.

The beast reacted — a blur of muscle and instinct — but Vael was faster. Not because of speed, but because of understanding. He felt where the beast would move, the twitch of its weight, the sudden vacuum of mana where its paw would strike.

He ducked before the blow even came.

Kiera didn't waste the opening. Her shadowy aura exploded behind Vael, her body flickering forward in a pulse of motion. Her sword — lighter than most but razor-sharp — slashed at the tiger's hind legs.

It yowled and turned, its eyes locking on her.

That was a mistake.

Because Vael was already gone.

A blink — and he was on its blindside, his rapier piercing its flank before the beast could react. It roared again, its claws tearing through the air, but Vael was gone once more. Another blink — two meters back, out of range.

The mountain tiger's movements grew erratic. Its breath steamed the air, and blood now stained its white fur. But even injured, it was deadly. Its core radiated power — the kind of power that crushed bones and shattered walls.

Kiera moved in again, weaving between the beast's swipes with unnatural grace. Her Mind affinity flared — telekinetic pressure slamming down on the beast's front paw as she aimed for its throat.

But the tiger rolled.

A massive body not meant for agility, suddenly showing unnatural flexibility.

It slammed into her mid-air and sent her flying across the snow, crashing into a rock.

"Kiera!"

Vael's heart surged — not with fear, but focus.

Everything sharpened.

The mana around him pulsed like it had a heartbeat, and in the center of it — the beast, lunging at him full-force.

He blinked up — high — and as gravity pulled him down, he poured mana into his ruined eye. His spatial sense flared tenfold.

There.

He twisted mid-air, landing behind the tiger's head. His rapier sank deep into the base of its skull.

But it didn't die.

It screamed — an awful, guttural sound — and bucked like a wild horse.

Vael was flung, but he blinked again mid-air, landing beside Kiera's crumpled form.

She was already rising, blood running down her lip, but her eyes were burning.

"Time to end it?" she asked, voice calm despite everything.

Vael nodded.

Together, they charged one last time.