The Thrill of Death
The knowledge that one mistake could end everything.
The concentration required to search through an impossible situation for a single chance at victory.
And the stubbornness needed to keep moving forward, even when victory seemed almost impossible.
That feeling had been absent from Victor's life for far too long.
For ages.
He had grown accustomed to battles where overwhelming power could settle everything.
A single attack.
A single burst of strength.
That was usually enough.
But this...
This was different.
Every breath mattered.
Every movement mattered.
Every fraction of a second could decide whether he lived or died.
If Victor made even one mistake, Fean would crush him.
There was no safety net.
No comfortable margin for error.
No guarantee that he would walk away from this battle alive.
And Victor loved it.
His heartbeat quickened.
His blood rushed through his veins.
The world around him seemed to sharpen.
He could hear everything.
