The moment the barrier broke, Marcus didn't breathe.
It didn't shatter like glass—it melted. Slowly. Unevenly. As if something inside had torn it apart from the core.
And when it fell, the smoke rolled out like a tide.
The first thing he saw through it was Noel, still standing—barely. His back turned, completely exposed. His head bowed. One hand on his knee. Revenant Fang planted in the ground like it was the only thing keeping him up.
And behind him…
The monster moved.
Twisting, groaning, alive.
"Get away from him!" Marcus roared.
The ground exploded under his boots as he surged forward, stone fists clenched, mana roaring through every vein like wildfire.
He flew past the Holy Guards before they could stop him, already mid-leap, already bringing his weight down like a comet.
"Sorry I was late too…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
But he wasn't saying it for Noel.
He said it for the children.
For Erick, Mira, the other ones he played with.
