The crane dissolved into a cloud of blood, and the camp fell into a deathly silence. Judith's scream caught in her throat as she gripped the dagger so tightly her knuckles went white.

Just moments ago, she had admired the crane's graceful movements. Now she watched in horror as the blood drifted on the wind, and white feathers mixed with bits of flesh fell across the grass. The sight sent a bone-deep chill down her spine, making her shiver.

"Ms. Linsor, thank goodness you stopped me. Otherwise…" she trailed off.

If she had taken another step closer, she would have ended up like the crane, reduced to nothing more than a cloud of blood. The realization filled her with lingering dread.

With a grim expression, Grace said, "That's what makes mental confrontations between high-level experts so terrifying. Their mental energy has reached the point where it can form physical domains.

"Anything alive that wanders in gets crushed to nothing, like a bug underfoot. There won't even be bones