Atticus lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his exhaustion. The intense battle had taken its toll, and his body was wracked with pain.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind, a tempting notion of taking his own life and coming back without any pain, capitalizing on the fact that he couldn't die in this realm.
Despite his physical weariness, he couldn't help but ponder the red aura that had empowered him earlier. During the fight with the life weapon's avatar, when he had been pushed to his limits, this energy had suddenly surged through him, elevating his power to new heights.
And before, while his primary focus had been on saving Ember, he had also noticed its presence during his earlier confrontation, when he had unleashed the full power of the first art.