(Few moments ago...)
(Aeron's POV)
Aeron stood at the edge of the evacuation zone, his hands clenched into fists so tight his nails drew blood. He had gotten the injured to safety—now all he could do was watch.
His heart pounded like a war drum as he tracked Aman's movements—the way he blinked through space, the way he seized the madman, the way he hurled him toward Zephyr's portal with seconds to spare.
They're going to make it—
Then—
A flicker of movement.
Huh?!
Aeron saw shadowy hands snap around Aman's ankle and pull him back to the explosion at the last critical moment.
"—!"
Aeron's breath caught.
"BOOOM—!"
The world erupted.
The fissure detonated in a cataclysm of blue-green light, the shockwave rippling outward like a tidal wave of pure force. Aeron barely registered being thrown backward—his body skidding across the snowy ground, his ears ringing.
When his vision cleared, his eyes locked onto the epicenter.
