Bala instinctively stepped back, not even sure what he was looking at. Someone who should've been dead… was staring right at him, following his gaze as he retreated. It wasn't just that Adam was alive—it was that he was aware, present, watching.
The plan had been simple. Antagonize the outsiders, push them just enough to force a full-scale attack on the city. The chief showing up had been a bonus—something he could twist, escalate, and use.
What he hadn't expected… was Adam.
The man was more than capable of stopping him. Subduing him, imprisoning him, dragging him out of the city, and killing him quietly—any of that would've ruined everything.
So Bala needed to kill this… anomaly.
But right now, none of that made sense. Why was he standing? How was he standing with a blade clearly run through his body?
"Wh—"
