Allen didn't need to say another word. Soreya had already fallen silent, eyes half-lidded and glassy, her once-defiant lips now slack and dripping as she knelt at his feet. The glow from the torches framed her in warm orange, softening the stark red around her mouth, the trails of spit clinging to her chin, the wet sheen between her thighs that betrayed her.
He didn't look at her with lust. He didn't even look at her with anger. Just... assessment.
This was no longer about punishment. It wasn't even about revenge.
It was order.
He stepped back, adjusting his tunic as Soreya instinctively lowered her head, almost pressing her forehead to the stone floor. No command had been given—but the memory of his grip still lingered on her scalp, and she moved as if it were still there.
Behind them, the courtyard was still. Rinni sat cross-legged atop the stone bench now, lazily twirling a dagger between her fingers while Fina leaned against a column with arms folded, her smile unreadable.
