The sheer force of that single punch froze the entire courtyard.
For a moment, everything went unnaturally still.
These men—street thugs hardened by countless brawls, men who had thrown punches and taken hits as casually as breathing—had seen violence before. They had broken bones, spilled blood, and left others groaning in the dirt without a second thought.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
A single punch… and a grown man had been sent flying like a ragdoll, thrown clear out of the yard as if he weighed nothing at all. Whether he was dead or merely unconscious, they couldn’t tell—but that uncertainty only made it worse.
Because deep down, every single one of them knew—
If that blow had landed on them, they wouldn’t have fared any better.
A chill crept up their spines.
F
