The air around Kasteil changed in seconds. It wasn't something you could see, but everyone could feel it. It was heavy, thick, and suffocating. His presence became oppressive, demanding attention without even raising his voice. At first, it seemed like an annoyance but that impression dissolved immediately.
No. This wasn't an annoyance.
He was livid.
It was the kind of anger that simmered beneath the surface, controlled but undeniable. His calm, measured exterior didn't waver, yet the sheer intensity radiating off him was impossible to ignore. You didn't need to see the fire in his eyes to feel the heat; it was in the way the space around him seemed to shrink, in the tension that pressed against their chests like invisible hands.
Kasteil handed the phone back to Soren. The contrast between his outward composure and the storm raging beneath it made the moment even more terrifying.
"From Silas, huh?" Kasteil asked, his voice level and almost casual, but there was an edge to it.
