"So, question one: why are you here, and how did you get here?" Asher asked as he began his interrogation, his sharp purple eyes piercing into the trembling man before him.
"I'm… I'm a criminal," the man stammered, his voice uneven and strained. "I was taken by the Knights after I killed a couple of people. But the Star Academy offered us something else in exchange for our execution. We were told that if we could battle some of the students and win against at least two who were on our same level of strength, then we would be free to go. However, we were explicitly told not to kill any of the students, only to injure them as much as we wanted." His words came out rushed, almost frantic, as though he feared each syllable might be his last.
Asher slowly nodded, his expression calm, but his thoughts sharp. He had already come to the same conclusion, but he needed to be absolutely certain.
