After Lady Virelila's wager had been sealed, the atmosphere within the dome settled into a heavy silence. The murmurs between halls gradually faded, replaced by a tense anticipation that lingered in the air like the calm before a storm.
Max stood quietly among the disciples of the Thirty Third Hall, his eyes slowly closing as he withdrew his attention inward.
He did not allow himself to be distracted by the presence of Isabella Lumin, nor by the imposing aura of Zain Heron, nor even by the glowing Red Horn Dragon bone that had briefly appeared before him.
All of that would matter later. For now, his breathing became slow and steady. He regulated the circulation of his Divine Essence as he ran the Primordial Elemental Scripture, stabilizing the flow through his meridians and the single opened divine vein within his body.
The faint heat radiating from the golden path ahead brushed against his senses, yet he did not resist it. Instead, he allowed himself to grow familiar with it.
