"Kill us? Craig, are you forgetting something?" Fagus sneered, taking a half-step forward, his arms still behind his back, posture relaxed but words sharp as blades. "If you go through with killing Max, your Authority will be used up the moment the battle starts. You'll lose it the second you initiate combat. Which means—after that—you won't be able to touch anyone else. Not Adam. Not me. No one."
The words struck like a hammer, ringing clear through the tense silence that had overtaken the hall. Craig's grin faltered, the smugness in his eyes giving way to a flicker of hesitation. His jaw clenched tightly, and his frown deepened as the implications sank in.
Fagus was right. Authority wasn't limitless—it was a one-time privilege. The moment he launched an attack on Max, it would be considered used, and then? He'd be just like everyone else, bound by the Tower's unbreakable rules. No killing. No second chance.
