Aether decided to duel Finnian in the desolate stretch of barren land... well, technically, his land now.
It felt like the right place.
The place where his journey was about to begin.
The wind whispered through the cracked soil, brushing past ruins and half-buried stones.
Archpriestess stood at a distance, her face uncertain, her fingers nervously gripping the hem of her robe.
She didn't speak.
She didn't shout or plead.
She just stood there, trembling slightly, her expression torn between fear and helplessness.
It was clear she didn't want this battle to happen.
But Aether had made his choice.
And for reasons even she didn't understand, she respected it.
Aether and Finnian stood several paces apart, the silence between them heavy, deafening.
Finnian rolled his shoulders, his neck cracking ominously as he cracked his knuckles. His aura flared outward like a divine inferno, golden flames licking the air with wild arrogance. The sheer heat made the ground ripple.
