As Lenny stood defiant against Moranda's chaotic magic with a Blade against his throat, a different kind of turmoil unraveled far from their confrontation.
Athena, in a flight borne of impulse and a deep-seated desire to distance herself from Lenny's burgeoning power, had absconded with the nether beast.
This creature, an anachronism from the darkest depths of the nether, bore a resemblance to prehistoric flying creatures, yet its desiccated hide whispered tales of realms beyond mortal ken.
Athena's departure from Lenny and Minnie's side was not merely a physical distance; it was a severance from a future tethered to Lenny's ascending might, a future where her fate might be overshadowed by his dominion.
She really feared this. After all, she had seen Lenny grow to reach her level of strength and then surpass it. Such level of pressure was too much for her to handle.