Alice stood frozen in place, eyes narrowing as she exhaled a shaky breath. Deep inside, she felt the swirling storm of power, She knew she could no longer hold back, no more second guesses, no more delays.
This is it, she thought grimly.
With a slow, deliberate breath, Alice closed her eyes.
For a fleeting second, the battlefield became eerily still. The winds that had been carrying the falling snow stopped completely, and every breath anyone dared to take turned to steam in the frigid air. The Govark before her cocked its head slightly, sensing the shift but remaining poised, watching her closely.
Then, without warning, Alice's eyes snapped open.
A pulse of chilling silence rippled across the entire island—no wind, no sound, just a dense, suffocating stillness that pressed against everyone like a vice. The Govark, the humans, even the far-off beasts lurking in the dark corners of the island seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.
And then it began.
