The battlefield lay silent, blanketed in the remnants of fury and salvation. The sky above was heavy with ash and lightless stars, and the scent of scorched earth lingered like the memory of death.
And at the center of it all, surrounded by fading magic and shattered might—Ethan Smith, lay still.
The spirit beasts were gone now, their radiant forms having dissolved into streams of essence that faded into his soul, vanishing like ancient guardians returning to slumber.
A trembling pulse fluttered in Ethan's chest as ten shadows rushed toward him, their voices frantic and overlapping.
'ETHAN!'
Clara reached him first, falling to her knees with a sob, her hands cupping his face. 'Stay with us… please… look at me…'
