"I understand," Aran said.
"Good, now you must demonstrate your power to him. Mere obedience is not enough; how can you know they are covertly following their own will, opposing you, if they do not suffer? Power should bring pain and humiliation, tearing apart the thoughts in people's minds and reshaping them into something new according to your wishes."
Zote ordered Marcus to take action.
Without hesitating for too long, Marcus pulled the lever, and the execution platform emitted a sharp, screeching mechanical friction as it arched upward again with a violent curvature.
Duke Fabrik had already lost the ability to scream, his body twisting grotesquely like a bow being squeezed, making only the sound of the bending imposed by the archer.
