Hana braced herself against the pillar where Arexa had impacted, spitting blood. The surge of power that had fueled her desperate punch still hummed within her, but it felt thin now, brittle. Blood trickled from her nose, dripped from her lip where she'd bitten it. She swayed, a wave of dizziness washing over her.
On the dais, Gary started to cheer, "Yeah! Take that, bitch!" but his voice died as he saw Hana stagger.
"Wait," Lucas breathed, his eyes wide behind his glasses, fixed on Hana. "Her energy signature... it's fluctuating wildly. It's plummeting, but the output is... unnatural. It's like she's..." He trailed off, the implication dawning. "Life force. She's burning her own life force."
Susan's head snapped towards Lucas, then back to Hana, horror replacing the relief on her face. "What? Burning her life? For this?"
Mary gripped her sword hilt tighter, her knuckles white. "Hana..."
