Max's gaze sharpened, his breathing steady but his muscles tensed.
Mathew's lips curled into what he likely thought was a generous smile. "Join us, and you will live. With your potential, you might become the strongest human ambassador. You could stand at the same table as the leaders of the demons and the Ascendants. Not as prey, not as fodder—but as an equal."
The words were heavy, promising power and survival, draped in temptation. But Max's face only darkened further. He sneered in his heart, mocking the sheer audacity of their offer. 'Did they truly think that by extending their poisoned hand politely, I would bow and take it?'
"Are you kidding me?" Max's voice cut coldly through the air, his eyes burning with defiance. "Do you really think I'd join you traitors? Don't insult me by putting me in the same pit as you."
The rejection was swift, sharp, and absolute.
