The broken door creaked helplessly across the floor as Malion stepped over it, shadows clinging to his frame as though terrified to detach from him. Splintered wood crackled beneath his boots like bones snapping under pressure. The lamps flickered. The air thickened. Even the silence recoiled.
Aurelia forgot how to breathe.
He walked in without a single glance at her.
Not one flicker of acknowledgment.
Not even the faintest movement of his eyes.
His gaze was fixed, razor-sharp, merciless, on Rael.
The young general stood motionless, towel barely managing to cling to his hips, sweat slipping down his tense back. Gone was the swagger he carried minutes ago. Now, only naked fear remained.....fear so palpable Aurelia felt her own pulse leap into her throat.
Malion didn't roar.
He didn't bare his teeth.
He simply said:
"Rael."
Quiet. Soft.
Deadly.
The sound froze Aurelia from the inside out.
Rael swallowed, forcing a smile that looked like it could shatter.
