Adam's vision swam as he leaned heavily against a jagged stone pillar, his body screaming with every shallow breath. The void around him pulsed with the aftermath of Alice's Abyssal Mandate, the remnants of the Void Manifest's wave still dissipating into the darkness.
Alice was still standing in front of the Void Manifest, her dark violet aura blazing, her claws extended. She moved again—a blur of shadow and violet light, striking the creature's flank, then its shoulder, then its chest. Each hit landed with precision, and the Void Manifest recoiled, its twin stars flickering.
"Impressive," the Void Manifest's voice echoed, layered and cold. "Your power is worthy of praise. You are not merely a spawn of the void, you are a sovereign in your own right. Your existence signals the dawn of a new era for the Void race."
Alice's eyes blazed. "I don't care about your race!"
