The fight dragged on longer than Rhian expected.
He couldn't get the upper hand, not once. Every move he made, Nia had a faster one waiting.
When he closed in, she slipped away or punished him with those sparks. When he stayed back, she fired bolts that forced him to move.
And dodging them wasn't easy.
The bolts weren't wide or loud. They came in short bursts, fast and targeted, always from a different angle.
Sometimes it was her hand. Other times it sparked off her shoulder or even her leg. She didn't need time to build up energy. She just moved, and it came.
Rhian lunged forward again, trying to break the rhythm. He stepped to the side mid-dash and aimed a sharp strike at her waist, but she dipped low and caught his arm.
He braced, expecting another shock, and sure enough, it hit.
The current jumped into his ribs. His muscles clenched tight. It wasn't enough to drop him, but it made his next strike useless. He pulled back and reset his footing.
