The reddish-pink neon haze pulsed through the room, its flickering light casting jagged shadows across the cracked concrete walls. The air vibrated with raw energy, the ground trembling beneath our feet as the dented steel cage rattled like it was caught in a storm.
I smirked, my arms folded casually, my aura pulsing with quiet confidence. Alaric's glare didn't waver, his red aura flaring brighter, tendrils curling around his boots, making the neon lights flicker wildly overhead.
The ground shook harder, a low rumble vibrating through the concrete, and then, with a grinding groan, the steel cage began to sink into the floor. The bars shuddered, metal screeching as they descended, locking into the ground with a final, resounding *clunk*. Nothing stood between us now—just open space and the crackling tension of our clashing energies.
