~Omniscient
The Crimson Ascendant turned from the crater where Laurent Draven had perished, smoke rising from its molten jaws. Its molten eyes swept across the ruins until they settled on the Varukh line.
Katya stood at the front, her sword shaking slightly in her grasp. Around her, the soldiers held their breath, faces pale in the flickering firelight. None dared to move. The monster’s smile split wider, teeth glowing white-hot in its blackened face.
It began to walk toward them.
Every step made the ground groan. Cracks spidered through the cobblestones. The smell of sulfur thickened. It didn’t need to roar again; its presence alone was enough. Laurent Draven was gone — and with him, their only chance.
Katya’s lips parted, a soundless word escaping her throat.
The Ascendant raised i
