Chapter 28: Harder
Aric Blackthorn and Kael’s eyes narrowed in unison, the silence between them turning razor-edged. This riddle was different. No layers, no illusions, no riddling syntax to decode. Just five fatal words that sliced straight into the soul:
“Only one team can leave.”
Their gazes locked again. The air cracked with tension. No banter. No camaraderie. Just cold calculation.
“I’ll take the left,” Aric said, his voice like ice cracking across a frozen pond.
Kael hesitated for a breath. His fingers twitched. Aric noticed.
“…Right,” Kael finally said, almost too quietly.
A nod passed between them, a shared understanding born in the fire of near-death and betrayal.
The trio of advancing descendants entered the hall, their presence announced not with noise but with pressure.
