The Elder's head rolled across the stone floor, leaving a thin streak of red in its wake before coming to a stop against the leg of a broken experiment table.
His body remained kneeling for a breath longer—
Then collapsed.
Thud!
Blood pooled slowly outward, dark and thick, creeping along the grooves between the stone tiles.
The chamber no longer echoed with screams.
Only the faint drip… drip… drip of blood breaking the stillness.
Jin Yuanzhan flicked his blade once.
The blood slid cleanly off the edge.
Behind them—
The children were staring.
Not one screamed.
Not one cried.
Not even the youngest.
Their eyes were fixed on the severed head lying on the floor.
That face.
That same face that had watched them burn.
That same face that had called them "materials."
That same mouth that had smiled while they screamed.
Now it lay twisted in shock, eyes frozen wide, lips parted in a plea that would never finish.
There was no fear in the children's expressions.
