They reached the edge of the city without realizing it.
The buildings thinned out, the streets grew quieter, and the lights became fewer and farther between.
It felt like stepping out of something.
Or into it.
Jovian stopped again, this time without explanation.
Vital Mirage appeared instantly.
"…This is it," he said.
Iggy looked around. "You've said that before."
"This time it's different," Jovian replied.
Lucien didn't argue.
Because he felt it too.
That presence—
Not distant. Not faint.
Close.
Closer than it had ever been.
Alaric stepped forward slightly, Golden Cavalier forming beside him. "…He's here."
No one questioned it.
They didn't need proof anymore.
The air itself felt heavier, like something was pressing down without touching them.
Then—
A voice.
Not loud.
Not echoing.
Just there.
"You've adapted."
All four of them froze.
Jovian's eyes sharpened instantly.
"…Voss."
There was no response.
But the presence didn't fade.
If anything, it became clearer.
More defined.
"You've broken what was meant to hold you," the voice continued calmly. "That was expected… eventually."
Iggy clenched his fists. "Show yourself already."
Silence followed for a moment.
Then—
"Not yet."
Jovian didn't move.
Didn't react.
Because something in that answer mattered more than the words themselves.
He's choosing when.
Not hiding.
Waiting.
Lucien spoke next, his voice steady. "Why now?"
A pause.
Then—
"To see what remains."
The presence shifted slightly.
Closer.
Jovian felt it like a pressure against his chest.
"Strength is easy to measure," the voice continued. "But resolve… requires proximity."
Vital Mirage tensed behind him.
"…Then come closer," Jovian said.
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then—
"Soon."
The presence vanished instantly.
No fade. No trace.
Just gone.
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything before it.
Iggy exhaled sharply. "I hate that guy already."
Alaric didn't respond.
Lucien just stared ahead, thinking.
Jovian remained still for a moment longer.
Then he spoke quietly.
"…He's not testing us anymore."
No one argued.
Because they all understood now.
The next time they saw Voss Calder—
It wouldn't be a voice.
It would be a fight.