Shadows That Won't Depart
"Now… please show yourself," Leon's voice sliced through the stillness of the night like a honed edge, low but with a stiff edge of steel. His golden eyes slit, capturing the soft sheen of the twin moons, their light hardening his gaze to something both royal and menacing. "Or shall I use force?
The words lingered in the air. It wasn't bravado or blowing smoke—it was the cold, plainspoken guarantee of a man who had already made the verdict on the finish before the game started. That quiet assurance pushed against the night itself, a burden that caused even the wind to pause.
Natsha tensed at his side, her instinct pulling at her back. Her short black hair slid against her cheek as she spun sharply around the same trajectory as Leon's eyes. Her brow furrowed, lips clenched tight, dark eyes narrowing into an intensity to match his.
