The silence did not break immediately.
It lingered.
Not the quiet that follows a minor interruption, but the kind that presses down, almost like the air itself is holding its breath.
The clearing, once filled with laughter, chatter, and the occasional clash of weapons, felt different now.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Not with tension—but with a subtle shift in understanding.
Duryodhana stood still, the mace lowered so that the tip brushed the ground ever so slightly.
His chest rose and fell with steady breaths, not from exertion, but from thought.
His gaze remained fixed on Karna, sharp and steady, yet calm.
No longer testing.
No longer challenging.
Now—observing.
Watching.
Trying to understand.
Around them, the other princes shifted uneasily.
Some relaxed their postures, while others stayed tense, unsure what to make of the scene.
Their eyes, however, never left Karna.
Curious.
Confused.
One of them stepped forward, almost hesitantly.
"You… stopped that?"
