An hour passed after Cael and his team eliminated those two teams.
The forest had settled back into its natural rhythm. Birds returned to the branches. Insects resumed their humming.
For the third time, the barrier was closing in. The shimmering wall of energy crept inward, swallowing trees and rocks, reducing the battleground with each pulse.
And now Cael could feel teams nearby. Their mana signatures flickered at the edges of his perception like distant candles in the dark.
But Cael did not close in on other teams. He just sat on top of a tree, beside Aria and Brania.
The branch was thick and stable, covered in soft moss. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, casting dappled shadows across his face.
Meanwhile, Edwin had gone to scout the area. He moved through the underbrush with practiced silence, keeping to the shadows.
Although Cael did not need it due to his spatial awareness, he did not stop Edwin from doing so.
