Ethan stood there for a few seconds after the portal vanished, and the space slowly returned to silence. The heat in the air was still intense, and faint waves of distortion could still be seen rising from the ground, but the violent fluctuations had finally begun to settle.
He exhaled slowly and rolled his shoulders once, trying to ease the stiffness in his body.
His body felt heavy.
The exhaustion he had been holding back during the fight now started to surface. His muscles ached deeply, and his breathing was no longer steady. A dull pain spread through his limbs, and even standing still took effort.
"…Damn," he muttered under his breath.
He lowered his gaze and looked at the dragon crystal in his hand. It pulsed faintly with power, and the sealed dragon soul inside gave off a suppressed and restless presence, as if it was still struggling somewhere deep within.
For a moment, he just stared at it quietly.
Then he clenched his fist around it and stored it away carefully.
