Jason's chest heaved as he struggled to find his voice, the weight of Evan's oppressive energy clinging to his body like a heavy shroud. His lips parted, but no sound came out at first. Swallowing hard, he finally forced the words past his constricted throat.
"I…I didn't want any of this," he began, his voice hoarse and trembling.
Evan's gaze remained cold and unyielding. Jason looked away, his eyes darting to the motionless figure of battered Mithal lying on the floor. His fists clenched as if drawing strength from his mounting frustration and pain.
"I didn't want things to turn out this way," Jason said, louder this time, though his voice cracked under the strain of his emotions. "I never wanted… to hurt them."
Evan's expression remained unreadable, but the subtle shift in his stance demanded Jason to continue.
