The silent drift of the fog felt colder than usual, settling like a heavy blanket.
Malva stayed on her knees, her shoulders shaking under the heavy pressure of the decay around her. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, ragged breaths, her lips parting as if trying to speak, but no sound came out, only broken, terrified silence.
The illusion of that monster with the pale silver eye still hung between them. The vision had shattered her calm, tearing open wounds she had spent years hiding behind a cold, blank mask.
She knew what kind of man Leo was.
He was smart, sharp, and brutally thorough. They were bound by a Mana Oath contract, a bond that strictly stopped them from harming each other.
But Malva didn't know if there were ways around it.
To her mind, power always found a way. If Leo thought she was a threat to him or suspected she was hiding something dangerous, she believed he wouldn't hesitate to find a way around the oath, cut her throat, and leave her body in the dirt.
