Liora's breath was ragged, her body burning from the immense strain she'd been under. Every spell, every attack she hurled at Iris drained her bit by bit, and with each second that passed, her remaining lifespan withered away. She could feel it in her bones—a deep ache that warned her how little time she had left. She glanced at Iris, who stood poised and calm, her golden eyes unwavering, as though the battle had barely affected her.
Thirty-five million years… Liora thought, gritting her teeth as she conjured another spell. A ball of white-hot flame materialized in her palm, crackling with deadly energy. I started with that much... now I'm down to twenty-five million... no, even less now. Ten million years already burned away.
