Several minutes later after the relentless exchange of gunfire and Alchemy.
The battlefield had finally fallen silent.
The explosions that had echoed through the forest gradually faded away, leaving only drifting smoke, the smell of burnt earth, and the faint crackling of broken branches still burning from the battle.
At the center of the ruined mountain path...
…
***
"Hope we aren't la…"
Priscilla hurried through the forest before suddenly stopping in her tracks.
Her unfinished sentence remained stuck in her throat.
The sight before her stole every word she wanted to say.
Nate, Page, and Lyra emerged from the trees one after another.
The moment they stepped into the clearing...
They froze.
Silence spread among the four of them.
The battlefield no longer resembled a test ground.
Broken trees lay scattered across the area.
Chunks of rock covered the earth.
