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The battle raged on, but the entity began to slow. Its attacks grew less coordinated, its form flickering where Aria and Malphas struck, its roars turning from confidence to frustration. Then, abruptly, it pulled back.

The darkness receded, leaving a clear space between them. The Zodiac held their positions, wary, ready - but the entity did not strike. It loomed there, vast and shifting, and the voice that spoke into Aria’s mind was no longer angry. It was soft. Persuasive.

“YOU FIGHT WELL. BETTER THAN ANYONE I HAVE EVER WATCHED. BUT I CAN SEE THE WEARINESS IN YOU. THE WEIGHT OF TWO LIVES. THE SCARS THAT NEVER HEAL.”

Aria...