Elandris stood tall, her confidence unwavering as she held my gaze. But I saw through it. Her posture was perfect, her expression calm, but there were cracks—small, almost imperceptible signs that her mana was faltering. She was trying too hard to keep her composure, to project an air of control. But I wasn't fooled.
I chuckled softly, taking a step closer. "You're putting on quite the strong front," I said, my voice cold and calculated. "But it's not like you could do much in that condition, could you?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't respond immediately. I could feel it, the way her mana flickered around her like a candle in a storm. Elandris was still powerful—there was no denying that—but her energy was waning. It wasn't that she was weak, no, she was far from it. Her mana wasn't reduced because of exhaustion. It was something more… deliberate.
There was something else at play here.
