(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)
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The last hour had been quiet — deceptively so.
Orion and Margaret had moved through the dense forest in near silence, their footsteps light, rhythm matching unconsciously. Protocol outlined everything: branches, mana residue, faint pressure trails from other participants. The earlier contractions had squeezed the field tighter; every encounter came faster now.
They'd fought six times in the past hour — four groups, two individuals. None had lasted long.
Margaret handled herself better than expected. Her strikes were strong and clean when her emotions aligned, but her instability remained. Her power spiked and fell unpredictably; one moment she was overwhelming, the next she was barely keeping balance. Orion didn't mind — she was adapting, learning to recognise her own rhythm.
