The large man's punch came so fast that Alaric, who had initially braced to block it, ended up choosing to hold back. He wanted to protect the boy first. His body twisted halfway as he reached out to grab the child's small shoulder, shielding him from harm. But that protective move left him wide open.
Thud!
A brutal blow slammed into the side of his face with a sickening thud. Alaric's head snapped to the left, and for a moment, everything tilted. His ears rang, his vision wavered like ripples in a pond. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he staggered back, the ground beneath his boots soft but unyielding.
He steadied himself with a sharp inhale, grounding his stance in the grass. Pain flared across his cheek, hot and pulsing, but his expression didn't waver. His eyes remained fixed and cold. Like steel forged in fire. Unyielding, defiant, utterly unafraid.
