Liam's heart hammered against his ribs like a war drum as Valdora charged straight toward him, a blur of lethal intent cutting through the chaos of the castle grounds. Dust kicked up in the pursuer's wake, and the air crackled with the faint ozone of powerful magic. *Why him?* Liam thought, panic clawing at his throat. *This bastard must be after Nyx, but I don't even know where she is. What the hell does he want with me?*
There was no time to puzzle it out. Footsteps thundered closer, each one promising pain or worse. Liam's legs burned as he pushed backward, every instinct screaming to run, but his body felt sluggish, weighed down by the remnants of battles past and the bitter reminder of his current limits.
