[Ace's POV]
The witch's fingers twitched uncontrollably against her restraints—spasms of exhaustion, or fear, or both. Her ragged breathing created small puffs of condensation in the cold night air, each exhale a tiny ghost that rose and dissipated into nothing. Beside her, Khaleed sat rigid as a corpse that hadn't yet realized it was dead, his human frame trembling with barely-contained panic. The tendons in his neck stood out like cords beneath his skin, sweat beading along his hairline despite the evening chill.
"Witch." My voice cut through the silence like steel through flesh. She flinched violently at the address. "Did you order the bandits to sabotage the Atlassian Bridge?" I kept each word measured, surgical, watching how her pupils dilated with each accusation. "Was this your plan? Force travelers onto Thunoa's vulnerable paths to make them easy prey?"
