Rex began to laugh again. At first, it was a low, private sound, a rumbling chuckle that started deep in his chest, making his shoulders shake beneath his blood-stained armor.
But then the sound swelled, growing louder and more unrestrained, until it rang through the broken streets of Aethelgard like a death knell.
"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
The laughter echoed off the shattered facades of the buildings, bouncing through the empty alleys and piercing through the smoke.
For Cassandra, watching from the periphery, the sound made her skin crawl; it felt like something oily and wrong sliding over her nerves.
It was the laugh of a man who had just watched his opponent play their final card, only to realize the game had never been fair to begin with. He wasn't just winning; he was enjoying the futility of her resistance.
Wiping a speck of blood and mirth from his eye, Rex straightened his posture. His expression shifted from sadistic amusement to cold, mechanical focus.
