The soldiers charged straight at Aaron, spears lowered and gleaming with deadly intent.
Their tips hovered only inches from his chest, ready to pierce through flesh and bone.
But they never got the chance.
In a single heartbeat, every soldier except the captain burst into bright, roaring flames.
The fire erupted from within them, white-hot and merciless, consuming armor, flesh, and bone in the blink of an eye.
Screams tore through the air for less than a second before dying into silence.
Nothing remained but drifting ash and the faint smell of scorched metal.
Only the captain stood frozen in place, untouched, his face drained of all color.
Everyone stared in stunned horror. Aaron hadn't lifted a finger.
He hadn't even looked at them.
Yet an entire squad of imperial soldiers had simply ceased to exist.
"You… you dare kill the soldiers of the Imperial Emperor?" the captain stammered, voice cracking with disbelief.
