The power drained from Quinlan's limbs, his energy getting ripped away from him as if it was time to collect some unpaid debt. It left his body trembling, with the light flickering in his veins. The essence he'd channeled could no longer stay.
His saber dimmed. His breath faltered. And his body began to fall.
From the sky toward the earth.
From a god-slayer to a limp primordial.
But before gravity could claim him, a streak of flame soared through the air. Serika.
Her vibrant orange aura blazed brighter than the sun, trailing fire across the skies. She reached him just before he hit the ground and caught him in her arms.
She held Quinlan as if he were the most precious thing she'd ever touched.
And for a moment, she didn't say a word. Instead, she just looked down at him with her eyes wide and chest heaving.
Then, slowly, her lips curled into a trembling smile, blazing with an extreme amount of pride and something deeper.
