Kaelan stood in silence for a few seconds, his chest heaving. He shut his eyes tightly and opened them again, blinking several times as he struggled to clear his vision.
The world was still spinning but thanks to Northern's patience, he had a moment to steady himself.
The stadium held its breath in stunned silence. The movement—the kick—had been sharp, precise, and devastating. It was a miracle Kaelan was even still standing.
For the entire coliseum to fall into a perfect hush like that—all at once—one could only imagine how tremendous the impact had been. And that strike had landed straight on his head.
Northern stood quietly, watching him. Of course, he could have ended it all in one smooth move if he wanted to. Just like the Kejar scion had claimed at the start of the match—Northern had options. Many of them.
