Grace of Ava and Trickery of Rin

Michael turned, his heart pounding in his chest, bracing himself for… well, he wasn't sure what. Tears? Accusations? A slap across the face? He did not know. But as his gaze landed on Lailah, he froze, a wave of surprise washing over him.

She was still beautiful, of course. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back like a silken waterfall, framing a face that would have launched a thousand ships back in ancient Greece. Her eyes, the color of a stormy sea, held a depth, a wisdom. And her figure…she still had that hourglass shape that had once made his heart skip a beat.

But it wasn't her beauty that surprised him. It was the aura that surrounded her. A subtle shimmer, a faint ripple of power that radiated from her like heat from a forge. She was still at the Immortal Stage of cultivation, he could sense that much. But the power… the quality of the energy… it was wrong.

It was like looking at a candle that burned with the intensity of a supernova.