The collision did not explode outward.
It folded inward.
Power compressed between Valentine and the former Sovereign, bending light, sound, and space itself until the sanctuary felt smaller, tighter, as if reality were holding its breath. The sigils screamed now, no longer glowing in welcome but flaring in alarm, ancient safeguards struggling to contain two forces that had never been meant to coexist.
Luther felt it first.
Not pain. Weight.
His knees buckled as the pressure slammed into him, not crushing his body but testing his resolve. The anchor bond surged violently, demanding presence, demanding balance. He clenched his teeth and forced himself upright, stepping fully beside Valentine instead of behind her.
Her power reacted instantly.
It did not shield him.
It wrapped around
