Wisps of light settled around us, soaking into the ground as we fell under the shadow of the looming peaks. It seemed drawn to me, curling around my legs as if it could sense how uncomfortable it made me. I kicked a particularly aggressive thread of mana away, shivering as goosebumps broke out across my skin. The magic wasn't particularly strong, nothing like the spells inquisitors or Soltair threw around, but it was so incredibly dense. I couldn't even fathom how one could have compressed that much mana together, and yet kept it a fourth-circle spell. The explosion alone had seemed like something a fifth or sixth-circle spell would accomplish.
In the center of the blast zone, I was shocked to see the Star Guard. They turned as we approached, their expressions a mix of surprise and resignation. Luxxa stood at the forefront, her arms crossed over her gleaming armor. A shallow crater surrounded them, its edges smoldering, and the rocky ground was cracked from the heat.
