The duel ended just like that with Bren conceding due to the pressure building around him. What started as a challenge quickly lost its ground. A few murmurs from the crowd, a glance from Darius, and even Lira's quiet stare were enough to push him back.
It was a waste of time.
Marcus lowered the rifle and let it disappear back into his inventory.
"If possible, I would like to rest now. I'll leave you be. It's nice meeting you, and thank you for verifying my work out there."
He looked at Darius as he said it.
Darius gave a short nod. "It was verified," he replied. "No doubt about that."
Lira adjusted the strap of her satchel. "What we saw… that wasn't normal," she added, more to herself than anyone else.
Marcus didn't respond to that.
Bren stood still for a second, jaw tight, then let out a slow breath. The earlier aggression had faded, replaced by something quieter. Not respect. Not yet. But it wasn't denial anymore either.
"…Yeah," Bren muttered. "We saw it."
