BOOM!
The figure lay flattened with lips opened wide and eyes blank in fear.
The dust had not yet settled.
Chunks of broken stone rolled down the sides of the crater, falling into the silence with dull, hollow thuds. Smoke drifted upward in slow spirals, carrying the stench of blood, scorched earth, and something darker that made the air hard to breathe.
Ethan's gaze lingered on Duke Monopolis's broken body for a brief moment.
The man who had once stood like an unshakable wall of the kingdom now lay twisted, his armor shattered, his sword snapped in half beside him. His chest barely moved. If he was alive, it was only by a thread of life clinging to his body.
A heavy presence descended behind him causing the air to ripple.
Rathlos landed silently, his feet touching the ground without a sound despite the force he carried. The dark scales on his arms slowly receded, melting back into skin. His breathing was steady, but his eyes burned with a deep, draconic fury.
