The Weight of Judgment
A shift in his stance pointed him a little more toward the exit.
"Rest now. Recover."
It was quiet, yet everyone listened. Not because he shouted, because something in the way he spoke left no room to ignore.
Up went his hand one more time.
A flicker moved through the hand. Then stillness returned.
A loud groan came from the heavy door as it swung open.
Slowly -
A crack appeared first. Then came a slow widening. Light slipped through. Something stirred inside.
Out of nowhere, dust trembled free from the arch as the stone scraped on stone, sound rolling across the chamber like an old thing waking. Silence sat heavy then, just for a moment, so dense it seemed to breathe back.
A sliver of brightness crept in as the opening stretched - then he crashed through, boots first, face tight like someone who'd already seen violence. The air shifted when the door gave way.
"My king!"
