An overwhelming wave of primal fear crashed over the courtyard like a tsunami of psychological pressure that bypassed conscious thought and struck directly at the most primitive survival instincts. The air itself seemed to darken, not with visible shadows but with the weight of something ancient and predatory that had awakened to express its displeasure.
For Cassius, standing at the epicenter of that terrible presence, the effect was total and immediate. His body obeyed the command before his mind could process what was happening, his knees hitting the stone courtyard with enough force to bruise. The mana orb in his hand guttered and died as his concentration shattered under the weight of fear so profound that it bypassed thought entirely.
