Hailey, with her patched eye emitting an ethereal glow, stepped forward. Alen, sensing the commanding presence, eased the pressure on the threads but maintained his vigilance.
"What's the meaning of this, Hailey?" Alen inquired his tone a mix of curiosity and defiance.
'Thank goodness, help me' he secretly thought to himself.
"You've proven your point," Hailey responded calmly. "Release her."
Alen hesitated for a moment, then, with a subtle gesture, the iron threads unwound from Quincy. She stumbled forward, regaining her balance as she glared at Alen with a mixture of frustration and resentment.
"I expected a challenge, not a massacre," Hailey continued, her expression unreadable. "There's a difference between proving your strength and reveling in unnecessary brutality."
Alen's crimson eyes narrowed a flicker of defiance in his gaze. "This is a fight for survival, Hailey. There's no room for sentimentality."
