Nihil stands in the middle of the shattered arena, panting, his newly regenerated body feeling alien and painful. The golem Wyvern before him has been defeated by a final, desperate Void Lance—a strike to its power core while the monster was still stunned.
But no one cares about the destroyed golem. All eyes are on him. On the monster that should be dead.
In the stands, Professor Theron collapses into his seat, his face as pale as a corpse. Instructor Zander stands rigid, his smile gone, replaced by a grave expression. Among the students, Darius val-Luminar stares blankly, his usually sharp mind now empty.
In the imperial balcony, the atmosphere turns icy.
Princess Selene turns to her father, Emperor Octavian Solaris, who has been silently observing. For the first time, she sees a rare expression on his face: disturbance.
"Selene," the Emperor says, his voice calm but heavy with gravity. "What... have you brought into the heart of my city?"
