Morthen stared at Gabriel, Daniel, and Israel with a smile on his face, the other three bearing frowns on their faces, their expressions hardened with caution and restrained hostility. Although they were wary of the soul-bound book, it did not mean they feared it; they would just personally avoid the battle, that was all, as veterans who understood that caution did not equate to weakness, but rather to survival.
Silence stretched between them as their presence continued to build, thick and suffocating, the air itself seeming to grow heavier under the pressure of their combined auras, the next moment, it shattered as Daniel, Gabriel, and Israel moved at the same time, their speed faster than thought itself, they arrived before Morthen with speed that seemed to surpass teleportation itself, as though space had willingly parted to grant them passage.
