Aaron. I thought you were dead. Where have you been all this while? Alice too. And… who's that little boy beside you?"
Leo's voice cracked with relief and disbelief, his eyes darting between familiar faces. The tension and exhaustion that had weighed him down seemed to lift for a moment, the faintest spark of joy cutting through the carnage around them.
Aaron allowed himself a faint smile as he walked forward, the ruined ground crunching beneath his boots. "Let's just say I took a nap… one that dragged on far too long."
But the moment of reunion was shattered by a guttural roar.
"My arm! You bastard!" Derios' enraged voice shook the air. Blood gushed freely from the stump where his arm had once been, yet his fury burned hotter than the pain. "I'll crush you into pieces!" he bellowed, raising another massive limb and swinging it toward Aaron with murderous intent.
Before the blow could land, a small, almost childish voice interrupted, dripping with disdain.
