The cemetery erupted with blinding light as my formation activated. Eight beams shot upward from the hidden runes I'd carefully placed days ago, creating a perfect octagonal barrier around Conrad and me. The spectators backed away, their faces illuminated by the crimson glow.
"Formation Master?" Caspian Kane's voice carried over the humming energy, his usually composed face betraying genuine shock. "The boy is a Formation Master as well?"
I didn't have time to savor his surprise. My body was still broken, and Conrad's twin dragons continued trying to devour me. I needed to act fast.
"You think some parlor tricks will save you?" Conrad spat, though his eyes darted nervously to the glowing runes beneath our feet.
"Not tricks," I said, forcing myself to stand despite the agony ripping through my body. "Knowledge. The kind your family tried to suppress for generations."
