Grey speed 14

Knowing I would have to move quickly, I rose up to one knee, making sure my body was still entirely blocked from the blast that came shortly after. I was already absorbing the aether from the crystal barrier before the rest of the explosion hit the outer walls. Once I had absorbed the entire reservoir, I strengthened my body and sprinted to the edge of the island, clearing the twenty-five-foot gap with room to spare.

I barely had time to lunge behind a large, curved growth of the clear crystals before the warning vibrations shivered through my core again. When the stones at my back dimmed, and the walls released streams of amethyst particles, my own aether gave a faint tug but stayed safely in my core.

A shuddering breath escaped my lips.

“That’s it…” I gasped in relief.