[: 3rd POV :]
The chamber, once ringing with the fading echoes of Arcturus's final screams, fell into an unnatural silence.
Then...
BOOM.
An invisible force swept across the room like a tidal wave.
Every mercenary, every guild member, even the most seasoned warriors who had survived countless battles, were smashed to their knees.
The stone beneath them cracked as their bodies were forced down by a pressure that felt less like weight and more like the will of a higher order descending.
Air was stolen from their lungs; some gagged, others choked.
Weapons slipped from trembling fingers, clattering uselessly against the floor.
A few tried to resist, their muscles straining, veins bulging, but their efforts were laughable.
No matter how much strength they poured into rising, their bodies refused to obey.
Even their voices betrayed them.
Their throats seized, as though the very air had been sealed shut.
Fear spread quickly, sharp and suffocating.
