A suffocating tension filled the small cabin, thick enough to feel, as the faint sounds of the café outside continued in distant contrast to what was unfolding within, the soft clatter of utensils and muted conversations now reduced to a dull backdrop against the sharp, controlled presence Damon carried in the room.
The second young man shifted slightly, instinctively trying to move, perhaps to step back, perhaps to reach for something—anything—that could help him escape the situation.
Damon noticed immediately.
"Don't try anything else," he said in a low, measured voice, one that did not need volume to carry weight, "like activating your resonance… that will only give me an excuse of self-defense to do what I wish to do."
The implication settled heavily as both of them froze.
Their bodies stiffened as they exchanged quick, terrified glances with each other, their fear no longer hidden, their breathing uneven as they stood trapped under his gaze.
Damon observed them calmly.
