To anyone watching, it seemed as if Atticus had stood still, gazing at the green mountain, calculating his next move.
But that wasn't reality.
There was no pause. No hesitation. No in-between.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he moved.
It wasn't speed in the way the world understood it.
It wasn't a blur. It wasn't a streak of light.
There was no visual distortion. No sonic boom.
One second, he was standing.
The next, he wasn't.
The cameras tried to follow.
They were built to track Apex-level combat, designed to capture speeds beyond most human comprehension.
But they couldn't see him.
One frame, Atticus was at the base of the mountain. The next, he was gone.
And then—
BAM.
A sickening, thunderous impact echoed through the mountain.
The first Dimensari's head snapped sideways, caving inward, his body launched like a missile through the trees.
Before the others could react—
BAM.
Another was struck, their chest collapsing inward, the force of the impact sending them spiraling through the air.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
The blows landed in rapid succession, the sound like explosions ripping through the mountain.
Each hit was precise. Lethal. Unstoppable.
The Dimensari didn't even see him.
One moment, they were surrounding Aurora.
The next, they were gone.
Their skulls cracked. Their bodies twisted. Their forms hurtled through the air.
The force should have killed them instantly.
But before death could claim them, a soft light enveloped their mangled bodies—
And in the next instant, they vanished.
Transported.
The crowd erupted.
A deafening roar shook the floating island as the screens flickered, revealing the aftermath—
Atticus standing there, calm, unshaken, while Aurora faced him.
The Dimensari were completely gone.
They hadn't seen how he moved.
Hadn't seen how he struck.
But they saw the result.
And that was enough.
"Eat that, you space bastards!"
"Dimensari scum! How does it feel to be wiped out in seconds?!"
"That's right! Bow before humanity!"
"Atticus! Atticus! Atticus!"
The chant of his name rose to an earth-shattering intensity.
Fists pumped into the air.
Feet stomped against the ground.
The entire human camp trembled beneath the sheer force of their celebration.
Because one thing was certain. No matter the competition. No matter the Apexes. No matter the challenge—
Atticus Ravenstein was here.
And that changed everything.
The cheers didn't reach them, but even if they did, Atticus wouldn't care about that.
Neither would Aurora.
Her breathing was ragged, her limbs heavy, her body aching as though she had lifted weights for hours.
She felt pain all over.
Yet, as her fiery red gaze settled on Atticus, everything seemed to disappear.
"Atticus…"
Aurora's voice was so low that it shouldn't have been heard by anyone.
But Atticus heard it loud and clear.
Atticus smiled.
"Hmm, I was expecting a more explosive reaction. Have you gone shy on me, Auror—"
Atticus couldn't finish his sentence before he was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug.
Aurora buried her face into his chest, her arms tightening around him.
Atticus felt it immediately—
The trembling in her shoulders.
The way her fingers clutched at his back as if afraid he'd disappear.
And then—
He felt it.
Wetness.
His attire dampened against his skin as quiet sobs escaped from the girl pressed against him.
She was crying.
Atticus's expression softened.
He let out a small chuckle, his hand gently patting the back of her head.
"Really, Aurora?" He teased in a light voice. "After all this time, and this is how you welcome me? I was expecting a grand explosion, maybe a punch to the face."
Aurora didn't reply.
Her grip only tightened.
Atticus sighed, his other hand running slowly down her back, comforting, grounding.
She didn't say anything for a long time.
She just… held on.
Finally, after what felt like forever, she pulled away, sniffing sharply and furiously wiping her eyes.
That was when she got a good look at him.
Her fiery red gaze scanned his face—
His sharper jawline.
His taller frame.
The way his aura radiated something untouchable.
"You've changed," she muttered, her voice still hoarse from crying.
Atticus smirked. "Just say I've gotten more handsome."
Aurora made a gagging noise. Loud and exaggerated.
"Handsome? You? Not in a million years."
Atticus raised an eyebrow. "How will you ever get a man with that foul mouth of yours?"
Aurora huffed, crossing her arms. "Hah! Do you have any idea how many advances I've turned down?"
Atticus barely held in a laugh. "Zero."
Aurora's face flushed red. "You—!"
She stomped her foot, fists clenched, looking ready to swing at him.
Atticus finally broke.
He laughed. Loud. Unrestrained.
"Why are you laughing?!"
Aurora scowled at first, but then—
She broke into laughter too.
The tension melted away.
Their voices mixed, filling the quiet forest with something warm.
After a few moments, their laughter settled into smiles.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply looked at each other.
Then, Atticus exhaled.
"It's good to see you, Aurora."
Aurora's lips curled into a wide, radiant smile. She looked away, arms still crossed, but her voice carried that same fire.
"Of course it is. I'm way too awesome for you not to miss."
Atticus smiled. He didn't say anything else. Just shook his head.
It had been more than two years already. But nothing could fade the love for family. He had missed her.
However, Atticus knew this wasn't the place nor the time for this.
The Dimensari had targeted Aurora.
That single thought was enough to make him want to go on a massacre. If he could, he would erase the Dimensari from the face of this world.
'They did it intentionally.'
Atticus wasn't stupid enough to believe this was all a coincidence. They had gathered together and attacked her.
It had been his every intention to kill every single one of them.
But it seemed as though they were all protected in this mountain range.
'I need to set an example.'
Atticus could see everything.
He could hear everything.
He could feel everything.
The countless trees that littered the mountain.
The thousands of division leaders present.
The figure of Kael, rushing toward him with a wide smile.
The figure of many of the other Apexes, watching him cautiously.
The figure of Kahn Voss, the Apex of the Nullite race, shooting toward him with a cold expression.
The figure of Carius, racing up the mountain, ignoring everything else.
And lastly—
The millions of eyes watching everything that was happening.
Atticus wanted to send a message.
The Dimensari weren't his only enemies.
In fact, it was basically all the other races. What happened today was something that would repeat itself in the future.
Atticus didn't want that.
He needed them all to see.
To witness with their own eyes who exactly they were messing with. He wanted them to see reality. To come to a simple realization.
He wasn't in their league.
Atticus's right foot lifted. A simple, effortless motion.
So calm, so casual, it looked as though he were merely taking a step forward.
But the world itself seemed to tense.
The trees stilled. The wind held its breath. The air grew heavy.
And then—
His foot came down.