Ivana was in pain as her right arm twisted backward with a sickening crack as the pressure forced her joints past their natural range.
Her knees buckled.
Yet the invisible force held her upright.
Claire's voice remained calm.
Almost apologetic.
"Sorry, Ivan."
Her crimson eyes gleamed coldly as she watched her former ally struggle helplessly within her control.
"But you're worth a lot of points."
The theater fell completely silent.
Ivan's body twisted further.
Her spine arched painfully as her arms jerked backward under the unnatural pressure. Veins bulged beneath her skin as the blood within her own body turned against her.
Every breath became a struggle.
Her vision blurred.
Yet her eyes did not lose focus.
They locked onto Claire.
And something dangerous flickered within them.
Then—
Her head snapped forward.
Something shot from her mouth.
A metal thorn.
But this one was different from the one she usually spew out of her palm...
