The night sky stretched vast above the island, a glittering canopy of stars shimmering under the moon's pale glow, casting a silver sheen across the restless ocean below.
I stepped out of the rubble where I'd crashed, brushing dust off my black coat, my dark aura pulsing stronger as I clapped my hands slowly, my smirk sharp and unshaken.
"I must admit, that was a good punch," I said, my voice calm but taunting as I walked forward, my boots crunching on broken concrete.
I raised one hand, holding my index finger and thumb close together in a teasing gesture. "Stung me a bit."
Alaric's red eyes narrowed, a low *hmmph* escaping him as he stood straight, his red aura flaring, tendrils curling around his body. "Keep fooling around," he growled, his voice low and dangerous, "and you'll be the only one paying the price."
I grinned, bending my knees mid-air, my black aura surging, its purple accents glowing like embers.
