Keiser remained rooted to the spot, unable to breathe, unable to blink.
Those eyes, blazing, unflinching, were locked on him, burning with a fury that seemed to strip the air from his lungs. He had seen beasts in their final thrash, knights in the grip of bloodlust, but nothing compared to the raw, personal anger radiating from the Saint of Aurex.
"W-wait, Princess…!" Olga stammered, rushing to her side. Her hands hovered uncertainly in the air, as though afraid to touch her liege. Even she seemed rattled, her voice unsteady as she tried to calm the girl she had sworn to protect.
But Althea wasn't calming.
Her chest heaved with each ragged breath, her hand still raised as if she intended to strike again. Her voice cracked through the night, sharp and venomous, carrying none of the softness the world so adored her for.
"I told you not to come back!" she hissed, her words shattering the silence like glass.
