Strax kept the small white flames swirling slowly between his fingers as he observed the destroyed arena floor. The Black Ice still lingered around his feet like frozen smoke, slowly sliding across the cracked metal surface. The magical pressure left by Lithara's aura still lingered in the air, though much more controlled now.
For a few seconds, silence completely dominated the hall.
Then Strax spoke again.
"And Apocalypse?"
Lithara slightly raised her golden eyes to him.
That clearly wasn't the question she expected to hear first.
Even so, she calmly replied:
"She's alive."
"I figured as much."
Lithara let out a small, low laugh before slowly walking to one of the partially destroyed columns of the arena. The dark heels of her boots echoed softly through the enormous hall as she ran her fingers along a deep crack in the black stone of the structure.
"I took her to one of the entrances to the Underworld."
Strax finally glanced at her.
"You did what?"
"It was her idea."
