Ethan narrowed his eyes, a flicker of suspicion flashing across his face.
Something was off.
He instinctively took a step back, refusing to take the gem the Adamant Dragon Sovereign was offering. Instead, he scanned the area, eyes darting across the landscape while silently activating his system to analyze the surrounding energy.
Nothing obvious popped up.
But if you looked closely—really closely—you'd notice it. The air itself carried a faint, unnatural scent. Subtle, but wrong. Like rot hidden beneath perfume.
What the hell is this? Ethan thought, his mind racing. Then he shook his head slightly and looked back at the Sovereign.
"Adamant Dragon Sovereign," he said calmly, "no need to be so quick to shut the door. We can talk this through—"
He didn't even get to finish.
"Enough!" the Sovereign barked, his voice like a thunderclap. "Leave. Now. Or I won't be so polite next time."
