Silence.
Thick and awkward.
It was as if someone had burped during a funeral.
The Malformed King knelt in the cracked earth, head lowered not out of shame or defeat—but sheer, oppressive soul pressure.
The crater they stood in still steamed from his arrival, jagged with molten edges and demon-shaped dents.
Yet, the demon's voice, when it came, was oddly calm.
"I never came here to kill anyone."
That single line pulled the emotional brakes hard enough to make everyone mentally rear-end each other.
Raven's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "Then explain."
The demon, still pressed to the ground, was having a hard time breathing, so he spoke slowly and carefully, like a bear trying not to spook a hunter.
"Could I please be released of this pressure? I swear that I won't attack."
Raven narrowed his eyes, contemplating.
The Malformed King was a man of his word, but Raven couldn't be sure. There was no way to tell if this guy had changed or not.
