Though the cloaked figure instinctively crossed his arms to shield himself from the strike, the force of the blow propelled him backward, causing his body to crash against a nearby rock.
Remarkably, he managed to regain his footing, tracing a path along the rough surface of the rock, absorbing the impact with surprising grace.
SCREECH
"Wh—L-Liege?!"
Clearly feeling the tremor in his hand, the man was poised to retaliate, but he abruptly halted when he saw the familiar figure before him.
His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight: a man in a black suit stood ominously, one hand clamped tightly around the neck of the woman, her legs flailing in desperation as he lifted her off the ground.
Although the man himself was almost hard to sense even with the naked eye, given his presence seemed to dilute in the atmosphere, the woman's cries made his presence disturbingly palpable.
