Miura’s movements were fluid and deliberate as she summoned the last of her strength. Frost spiralled outward, coating the ice beneath Robert’s feet. He sneered, his aquamarine-lit eyes narrowing as he tried to summon a wave to counter her power.

“Your tricks won’t work here!” Robert bellowed, his voice amplified by his telekinesis as he thrust his hands downward, commanding the waves to rise.

But Miura didn’t relent. She pressed her hands together, her breath visible in the frigid air. The frost beneath Robert surged upward, encasing his legs, then his torso, and finally his arms in jagged shards of ice. His telekinesis flared briefly, shattering a few of the encasing spikes, but it wasn’t enough.

“Miura, stop!” Sabrina’s voice cut through the storm as she ran toward her ally. Her heart twisted at the sight of her brother trapped, his smirk now replaced by flickers of fear. “We need him alive!”

Miura didn’t answer. Her dark eyes were locked on Robert, her resolve unyielding. She raised one hand, and the ice surrounding Robert tightened, forcing a sharp gasp from him as it constricted his chest.

“Don’t do this!” Sabrina begged, grabbing Miura’s arm. “If you kill him like this, you’ll only prove him right about us.”

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“He will not stop,” Miura replied, her voice cold and steady. “This is the only way to end him.”

Sabrina’s grip tightened, her tone hardening. “And if he survives, Miura? Do you think he’ll stop coming after us if you show him this kind of mercy?”

For a brief moment, Miura hesitated, her focus wavering. The storm seemed to quiet around them, as if the elements themselves held their breath. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she hurled Robert’s frozen form into the sea.

Sabrina’s gasp was drowned out by the roar of the waves as Robert’s body struck the water, vanishing into the turbulent depths. For a moment, all was silent save for the howling wind.

But Miura’s gaze remained sharp, scanning the dark waters. “It’s not over,” she said quietly, more to herself than to Sabrina.

As if in answer, the waves around the frigate surged unnaturally, carrying Robert’s limp, frozen body toward one of his smaller ships stationed nearby. Through the dim light and the storm, Sabrina could make out the faint glow of aquamarine flickering around his encased form.

“He’s conscious,” she murmured, her voice a mix of awe and dread.

Miura’s hands fell to her sides, her expression unreadable. “Then next time, we won’t give him the chance to recover.”

Sabrina stared at the distant ship, her heart pounding. She felt the storm still swirling around her, a tempest as fierce within as it was without. “Next time,” she whispered, her tone filled with uncertainty.

Together, they turned back toward The Frosted Lantern, the storm battering the deck as the crew scrambled to stabilize the ship. Sabrina cast one last glance over her shoulder, where Robert’s distant ship disappeared into the darkness.

The battle wasn’t over–not yet. And the storm was far from spent.