Gereon laughed like a maniac, the kind of laugh that made you wonder if his sanity had gone on vacation and forgotten to come back. He clutched his chest in a grand, theatrical gesture, as though he were a final boss in the middle of a cutscene, pausing dramatically before unleashing Phase 2. All he was missing was ominous music and a health bar that suddenly doubled in size.
"Admirable!" He declared, with the cheerful curiosity of a man rediscovering an old hobby. "Truly delightful, how long has it been since I bled?"
The trio froze. Their fingers tightened around their weapons, every muscle pulled taut like bowstrings.
They did truly deserve this moment — watching their enemy bleed was like finally getting dessert after being force-fed nothing but pain and disappointment. A glorious, terrible feast for their eyes. And yet, the aftertaste was all wrong. Something about Gereon's smile suggested that dessert was poisoned.
