Chapter 42: Kaal Arrival
Divya stood at the precipice of decision. her heart was racing.
The weight of a thousand eyes pressed upon her disciples, elders, and even the distant gaze of her Grandfather. She knew the truth in her bones: she was not Samrat’s equal in raw power, let alone a match for the Storm Dragon who had shattered him.
Kevin’s words hung in the air like an open wound—Do you dare?—not just to her, but to the honour of the entire Kilvis Clan.
She knew the truth. She wasn’t as strong as Samrat, nor did she possess the raw destructive force of Kevin’s Lightning Qi. Her strength lay in the potential in the unawakened depths of her bloodline, the dormant fire of the Black Phoenix that slumbered beneath her calm demeanour.
"I may lose," she thought. "But I will not run."
The silence of the crowd pressed on her like a mountain, waiting, watching for her answer.
With a deep breath, Divya stood.
Her jade-green robes flowed like water around her figure, the gold embroidery of phoenix feathers catching the sunlight. She didn’t speak. She didn’t glare. She simply stepped forward.
And then she leapt.
A single, graceful motion.
From the elevated platform of the spectators’ stands, she soared through the air like a wisp of emerald wind. Her descent was silent, elegant, effortless. She landed in the centre of the arena, opposite Kevin Haze, her feet barely making a sound upon the stone.