Seraph did not rush his next attack.
He waited.
Which made him more dangerous.
Lyra felt it first while they rested near the frozen city.
Her power suddenly pulsed like a warning alarm.
"Something changed," she said quietly.
The stranger immediately became alert.
"Explain."
"It feels like… he's adjusting to us."
Kael frowned.
"Meaning?"
Rylan answered first:
"Meaning he learned from losing."
Before they could say more, the sky cracked with light.
Seraph appeared again.
But this time he wasn't alone.
Behind him floated three warriors made of pure light energy.
Copies.
Each carrying fragments of Kael, Rylan, and the stranger's fighting styles.
Lyra's stomach dropped.
"He studied us."
Seraph spoke calmly:
"Growth requires pressure."
His eyes locked onto Lyra.
"So I will remove your support."
The copies attacked the three men directly.
Separating them.
Isolating Lyra.
Exactly as planned.
Lyra tried to intervene but Seraph blocked her path.
"No more hiding behind them."
Her voice hardened.
"I never hid."
They clashed.
Power shook the frozen city.
One of the copies stabbed Rylan through the side.
Rylan fell to one knee.
For the first time since Lyra met him…
He wasn't smiling.
Lyra felt fear grip her chest.
Not again.
Not someone else she cared about.
She tried to break away from Seraph.
But he anticipated it.
"Emotion makes you predictable."
She answered through clenched teeth:
"Love makes me unstoppable."
She forced her way through his attack anyway.
Reached Rylan.
His breathing was shallow.
"Hey…" he whispered weakly.
"No dramatic crying face please."
Tears still formed in her eyes.
"You're not allowed to die."
He gave a weak grin.
"Bossy."
She placed her hands over his wound.
Absorbed the destructive energy.
But this attack was different.
It resisted her.
Seraph spoke from behind:
"I designed that wound to resist your power."
Lyra's hands trembled.
Fear turned to rage.
Her power surged violently.
Breaking the limitation.
She forced the corruption out.
Rylan gasped as his lungs filled with air again.
He looked at her with real vulnerability.
"You really won't let us go… will you?"
Her answer was simple.
"Never."
But using that much power made Lyra cough blood.