As the group of armed men charged menacingly towards Adam, their leader swiftly raised a commanding hand, forcing an abrupt halt among his subordinates. The collective thunder of boots skidding to a stop echoed in the tense air, leaving behind a sea of bewildered and uncertain expressions. Their leader, a tall and sinewy figure with broad shoulders and a perpetually hunched back, strode purposefully forward. He regarded the boy before him with a mix of morbid curiosity and unbridled greed. His unruly, long curls cascaded over sharp, calculating eyes, lending him a distinctly predatory visage.
"Well, well, well," he purred with a voice that oozed like honey but carried the weight of menace. "What do we have here? A little boy who can wield mana, eh?"
Adam's glare pierced the man's facade, manifesting the guttural growls of an untamed beast, as crimson mana surged through his veins like a tempestuous inferno.
