Kael crashed against the pavement outside of the destroyed building, skidding across gravel and debris before slamming into a rusted vehicle frame.
He couldn't breathe. Couldn't see.
The world shook around him, and for a moment, Kael feared Selora itself would be torn in half.
Everything burned, from his eyes to his throat, to his skin.
The shield he'd created just before the explosion had done its job. It had kept him alive.
But the damage was done now.
Kael blinked, and his vision slowly came back. At first, it was fuzzy and gray. Then color appeared over the monochrome image, and he was back in reality.
Without the gem, Kael was pretty certain he would be blind for life.
Thankfully, it healed quickly.
Kael could sense that the gem was running out of energy. It, just like him, could get tired.
He rolled over, debris cascading off of his back.
Much of the area around him was on fire from the explosion.
