The forest was eerily quiet after the battle. The air felt heavier, charged with an energy Juliana couldn't quite place. The group stood in the clearing, their breaths heavy, their weapons still drawn. Despite the silence, the tension lingered, like a coiled spring waiting to snap.
"Everyone alright?" Hak asked, his voice steady but low.
Delta nodded, though his stance betrayed his weariness. Jaxon leaned against a tree, wiping blood—none of it his own—from his blade. Juliana didn't reply immediately, her hands still trembling from the burst of power she had unleashed. She wasn't sure if she was alright, not after what she had felt.
Hak turned to her, his piercing gaze meeting hers. "Juliana?"
"I'm fine," she lied, though her voice wavered.
Hak didn't look convinced, but he didn't pre
