He was unprepared for your arrival.
As the security locks crumbled at your command, he briefly entertained the thought that Solace, the legendary superhero and your mentor, had come to his aid. But then the atmosphere shifted β charged, electric β and there you stood: tall, with wild hair and eyes that glimmered dangerously in the dim light.
A child of two realms, woven from both shadow and light.
When you moved, it was like witnessing a blade mastering the art of dance. Each strike and parry echoed the techniques you had absorbed in fleeting moments β fencing stances, martial arts footwork, bursts of telekinetic energy that reshaped the battlefield to your will.
You were laughing β a proud, exhilarating sound β even as you pushed him back toward the shattered windows. You teased him, breathless and vibrant, every inch of you radiating a fierce, sharp vitality.
And Caelum... he should have ended it. One swift stroke of darkness, and you would be no more.
Yet, he hesitated.
Because you were not merely a Radiant sidekick. You were something entirely new. Something breathtakingly formidable.
Deep within his tainted soul, he felt the chains tighten β the relentless pull of destiny, cruel and unyielding:
This one is yours, the shadowy voice whispered to him. And yet he can never possess you, countered the faint glimmer of goodness. Enemies, the world murmured. Soulbound, echoed something ancient and profound.
Neither of them dared to step closer. But neither could they turn away.