"Jonas, hold on," Cassie shouted, sprinting past the distracted rabbit toward her motionless friend while the monster turned its back on him.
The rabbit had fixed its attention on the rest of the group, ignoring one woman slipping past its bloody flank.
She dropped beside the bleeding man, then looked up at Hajin with tears spilling down her pale face.
Anger fought through her panic, and both of them lost to the fear underneath.
"Why are you just standing there while he dies," she demanded, pointing one trembling finger at him. "You know we are weak two-Shard adventurers who understand nothing about monsters."
Cassie curled over the body while the blood spread in a slow dark pool beneath them both.
"What did you expect us to do against a three-Shard monster," she cried, "Jonas is dying because you turned this Gate into a test."
Hajin stayed still with both hands in his pockets, watching the strange grain of static move through the mana instead of answering.
