In a flash of light, Elder Adam appeared beside Riley, his robes fluttering as the air rippled around him.
His expression was grim, carved from stone, and his sharp gaze immediately swept over the devastation that lay before them.
The acrid scent of blood still lingered in the air, and faint wisps of spiritual energy twisted and hissed like dying embers.
"You should not have done that, Riley," Elder Adam said quietly, though the weight behind his words pressed heavier than thunder.
His tone wasn't angry — it was weary, edged with something that sounded like both disappointment and inevitability.
But Riley wasn't finished. Not even close.
"Someone should have done it long ago. Maggots should not be allowed to linger and be tolerated," he said coldly, his eyes still fixed on the group of trembling disciples before him.
His voice carried across the courtyard, low but sharp enough to cut through the silence like a blade.
