Calista stood still.
Between her and Kaelis stood Veynessa — hands still raised after blocking the strike. Giant purple bruises spread across her forearms, darkening with every second. Her fingers trembled slightly, as if her muscles hadn't fully regained control after absorbing such inhuman force. The stone beneath their feet was cracked, and the silence that fell over the arena was suffocating.
Calista's gaze slowly moved, stopping on Veynessa. Her eyes shimmered with lifeless light — no emotion, no warmth, no hesitation. There was nothing personal in her stare. As if she wasn't looking at a friend, but at an obstacle. Her pupils were motionless, frozen like a sheet of ice, and her jaw slightly tensed, as if it would take only a single word to break the silence.
"Step aside," she said, her tone so calm it was chilling.
Calista's shoulders trembled in rhythmic jerks.
