The moment Rama hit the ground, Shoji and Axel froze with shock and fury flashing across their faces.
"You bastard…" Axel growled, his grip tightening on his blade. "I knew that old man was shady."
He shifted his stance, about to lunge at Caedryn without hesitation.
"Wait," Shoji snapped, one hand raised. His voice was low and sharp. "We don't know what he'll do to Rama if we make a move."
Axel gritted his teeth but held back, eyes burning with rage.
Caedryn still held Rama pinned to the stone floor with the writhing black tendril. His grin never fading. There was something feral in his eyes, something ancient and starved.
With a flick of his wrist, he then conjured a silent pulse of black light. A barrier shimmered across the chamber between them and the others—Larsen, Milen, and Kira—cutting them off like a curtain.
The spell snuffed sound across the vast chamber. The three were still distracted with their search, unaware of what had just happened.
