Ronan roared, charging the rogue mentor with sword raised high. The oppressive aura of the Crimson Eclipse only fueled his rage, lending feral strength to his every motion. Silas, still flushed with the dark energies of the half-finished ritual, met his strike with an eerie calm, blade flicking out in a lethal arc.
Their swords collided with a deafening clang, sparks erupting. Ronan snarled, forcing all his momentum behind the blow, pushing Silas back a step. Blood from Aria’s painted chest dripped onto the altar, spattering across the engraved runes, and the swirling vortex overhead seemed to pulse in response.
A savage, bone-crunching exchange followed. They circled each other, hacking and slashing. Claws emerged from Silas’s half-shifted fingertips, raking at Ronan’s exposed arm. Fles
