Ethan's expression snapped sharp.
"Move!"
He caught Kaelira by the arm and yanked her sideways, retreating at full speed.
The next second, a golden pillar of light punched through the cloud layer and slammed straight down—precisely onto the spot they'd been standing.
Bzzzt—
BOOOOM!
Where the beam hit, space itself was pierced through. Blinding light erupted, and the shockwave detonated outward like a expanding wall. The midair stalemate of clashing energies was ripped apart instantly, and the ground below was crushed into a massive depression.
Even though Ethan had pulled back in time, the aftershock still swept along his back. The pressure made the energy inside him drop heavy, like his chest had been hit with a weight.
His eyes went ice-cold.
If he'd been even a fraction slower, and that beam had hit him head-on… even if it didn't kill him, it would've crippled him.
