Max's eyes blazed with hatred as he glared at Aurelia.
He could feel it—her sword sinking deeper.
The pain was unbearable, a fire coursing through his veins. His body screamed in agony, but worse than that… was the sheer helplessness.
He couldn't move. He couldn't fight back. He could only watch.
Then—
A shout.
And suddenly—
The world spun.
Max felt himself fall. The ground beneath him vanished, replaced by a strange sensation of weightlessness.
Then—
Thud!
He landed hard on solid earth.
His breath came in ragged gasps as his vision cleared.
'What happened?'
His head snapped around, scanning his surroundings.
A forest.
Tall trees. Thick foliage. The scent of damp earth. He was deep inside somewhere unfamiliar.
'Where… am I?'
His body was still tense, expecting an attack. But no one was here. No Aurelia. No Norton. No Ralph.
He was alone.
His gaze flickered down to his stomach.
Blood was still leaking from the wound, but… not as much as it should be.
