And behind them, as the wind swept across the cliffs, the mist curled upward—not to hide.
But to herald. he courtyard was eerily silent, the blood-soaked earth still steaming beneath silver moonlight. The night mist was no longer a natural veil—it responded to Adrian's will, slithering across the stones like a living thing. Starlight glimmered in his eyes, and the Bound Star Core pulsed quietly inside his dantian, its power anchored to his soul.
Across from him, the last five Raven Chain assassins hesitated. They'd felt fear before—but not like this.
Not soul-deep terror.
"Don't run," Adrian said, stepping forward with Jayson limping behind him. "It'll only make it worse."
The assassins moved. Two leapt to opposite rooftops, hoping to scatter. The other three darted into different corners of the courtyard—one toward the garden wall, one toward the inner halls, and one straight at Adrian in a suicidal lunge.
Adrian didn't even draw his sword.
