Northern's gaze was blank—a mask of stone. Even as he asked them for the whereabouts of his parents.
His question landed like a weight. The air thickened. Shoulders tensed.
Jiang's chin lifted, the dagger in his hand catching the light.
"You want to get your father so badly? Then you'll have to cross us."
Northern scanned them. One by one, they summoned their weapons after Jiang. The young lady in the dress—a scythe. The tall one—twin sickles with thin chains dangling from their hilts. Kai's hands trembled as he drew two longswords.
All four pairs of eyes glowered with coordinated darkness.
Northern exhaled and shook his head.
"Fatal mistake."
"What do you know?! Die! Just like our brother did!!"
Jiang shot forward, spiral darkness erupting behind him and catapulting his speed tenfold.
Tenfold to Northern was still slow motion.
Jiang's dagger thrust toward Northern's throat, the blade wreathed in writhing shadow that extended its reach by three feet.
