BOOM.
A blinding light swallowed the city.
Ben braced for destruction, but instead everything around him went dark.
He recognized the place at once. "Apophis.
So you were close."
"Yes, I am," her voice echoed around him. "It seems we're really compatible, Master.
But if you keep obsessing over me, it will not end well for either of us."
The darkness faded and turned into a dense forest.
Tall trees blocked most of the sky.
The air felt still and quiet.
Ben narrowed his eyes.
She teleported us?
He understood why he had not noticed it before.
The area had been full of space energy.
A small spatial ripple inside that chaos was easy to miss, like a single wave in the middle of the sea.
"Did Belial explode?" he asked.
Apophis smiled. "You do not need to worry.
I took care of him.
The city is fine.
The queen will not blame you.
Now that he is gone, you should return and win her support."
Ben did not answer.
He focused on the lingering energy in the air instead.
