The moment Envy's final word faded, the moment that declaration about fear settled across existence–
Whoosh
Movement rippled through every frozen form simultaneously, their bodies responding to commands again.
Gasps erupted from the assembled Legions like explosions, millions of voices overlapping.
"W-what the hell just happened?!"
"My body– I couldn't– for a second there I thought—"
"Did we really freeze from fear?! From just sensing someone's presence?!"
Among the fourteen Cardinals, silence fell heavier than any words could carry.
Valamir's green orb pulsed with erratic light, the shadows inside churning with movements that suggested something between rage and humiliation.
His voice emerged after several long moments, rough around the edges and stripped of the earlier confidence.
"That's... impossible."
The word came out broken, barely coherent.
