The air in the subterranean vault was thick with the scent of ozone and the rhythmic thrumming of the lasers. Ethan stood before the immobilized Su Ni, his shadow stretching long across the Cold Steel floor.
"You really think I'd tell you anything, you stupid, low-born animal?" Su Ni spat, his voice trembling but still laced with that ingrained, toxic arrogance. "You are playing with forces you don't understand. My sect—"
WHACK.
Ethan's hand moved faster than the eye could follow. The sound of the slap was like a whip cracking against leather. Su Ni's head snapped to the side, and two blood-stained teeth skittered across the metal floor.
Ethan leaned in, his violet eyes mere inches from Su Ni's face. "I'm sorry," Ethan whispered, his voice dangerously soft. "I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat it for me? A bit slower this time."
