"He was a good teacher, in a strictly academic sense," Rex said, his voice dripping with a patronizing lilt that felt like salt in an open wound. "The foundational analysis of the island's geological platform was technically correct."
"The divine construction methodology identification? Accurate. The vulnerability point he identified was real."
As Ignivara lunged, her wings beating a frantic, heavy rhythm, Rex didn't just defend; he countered with a brutal, sudden expansion of his stone shield. He thrust the massive slab of granite forward with a telekinetic burst so violent it felt like a physical punch.
The impact caught her mid-flight, the heavy stone slamming into her solar plexus. The sound was a sickening thud, the sound of air being forced from lungs and the groan of ribs straining against the pressure.
She was sent hurtling backward, three meters of dead air separating them as she struggled to stabilize her flight.
