Clyde's jaw clenched until it ached. His grip tightened around the spear, his knuckles pale, and his shoulders rigid. Anger burned through him, tangled with grief that refused to loosen its hold.
He took a step forward without a word.
Mina saw his expression. She didn't try to speak. She didn't ask if he was ready. She already knew the answer.
There was nothing left in him now except the need to kill what stood before them.
"Stay back," Clyde said, his voice low and firm, eyes never leaving the beast.
Mina scoffed and stepped up beside him instead. "No."
For a moment, it looked like he might argue. Then Clyde sighed slowly, the tension in his shoulders shifting and became steadier.
"Then you must live," he said. "When this is over, I believe you will."
Mina's lips curved into a sharp, confident smirk. "Of course."
They moved together.
