My eyes never left Saleos.
Even within the slowed time and locked space, his Essence churned.
Slowly. Trying to resist the laws.
Fire law thickened around Saleos, heat bleeding into the void and warping space at the edges of my control. Even with time slowed and space locked, his Essence did not stay still. It churned, pressed, tested every boundary I had placed on him.
His eyes met mine. In that instant, I knew there was no pretending anymore. He was resisting.
The ticking echoed louder in my ears.
I did not hesitate.
I willed the door to shift, and space twisted violently as I triggered the first jump. The battlefield tore away from us as I dragged all five of us before Saleos could fully break free.
