Calista appeared on the far side of the arena. She hadn't even caught her breath when she saw it.
Renald inhaled—and something changed.
His chest expanded, shoulders tensed. The Qi that had lazily circled around him was suddenly pulled inward—silent, invisible. His muscles twitched, like every fiber had been tuned to an incomprehensible frequency.
And then he vanished.
Before Calista could think, her body was already moving.
"Fifth Petal — Lotus Path!"
The spot where she'd just stood erupted downward—as if something had struck with enough force to shatter stone beneath the surface. Cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, forming a crater shaped like a handprint. The air vibrated for a heartbeat, dust particles rising in a near-perfect circle.
