The battlefield was a smoldering ruin, the air thick with the acrid scent of charred earth and ash. The only sound cutting through the stillness was the labored breathing of the combatants who had witnessed the fiery clash between Lucan and Reynard.
Lucan stood amidst the wreckage, his aura blazing with the remnants of his Knight Ascendant power, his gaze fixed on the scorched ground where Reynard LaRue had fallen. His chest heaved with exertion, but his presence radiated unyielding dominance. He had won—but at what cost?
From across the battlefield, three voices broke through the silence in unison. "Reynard!" The LaRue Elders' anguished cries echoed, their faces twisted in shock and disbelief.
They had watched the impossible unfold—their leader, a Knight Ascendant, brought low by Lucan's unleashed fury. Now, without Reynard, they were not just vulnerable but utterly outmatched. Yet, rage and grief burned in their hearts.