The silence that followed the Arbiter's departure was a leaden weight, pressing down on every breath, every thought. It was a vacuum, sucking the air from their lungs, leaving behind a chilling void where Wang Jie had been. The ash, a faint grey smear on the polished wooden floor, was the only testament to his existence, a stark, brutal reminder of the System's unforgiving hand.
Sun Mei's choked sob, quickly stifled, was a desperate attempt to contain the terror, but it was too late. The dam had broken. Gao Lin, his bravado shattered, stumbled backwards, a ghost of a man, his eyes wide and vacant, fixed on the empty space.
Li Qiang, the would-be leader, was a trembling wreck, his whispered words, "He's... gone," barely audible, yet echoing the profound horror in every heart. Chen Hao clutched his chest, gasping for air, while He Rong hugged herself, rocking gently, a silent prayer or plea escaping her lips.
