"You could've figured that out sooner," Ty replied, his tone half-joking.
Before they could catch their breath, a faint noise echoed through the passage they had entered from. Voices. Ty's expression hardened, and he motioned for JJ to follow him as they quickly ascended the stairs. They emerged back into the passage just as the voices grew louder.
"We need to move," Ty said. "They're closing in."
Meanwhile, far away in the King's chamber, the mood was anything but calm. The three assassins who had failed to kill Osalf knelt before the King, their bodies trembling under his cold, piercing gaze. General Omina stood nearby, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.
"You failed me," the King said, his voice low and dangerous. "Not only did you fail, but you allowed the Black Bulls to escape with their lives."
