Liam's gaze stayed locked on her—on the twisted shell of Sophia—the firelight reflecting off his sword and casting erratic shadows across the walls. The others didn't speak. They could sense the shift in him. Not just in his stance or his eyes, but in the stillness of his breath. In the way he planted his feet.
He had made a decision.
He wasn't going to stand there anymore, waiting.
He was going to act.
But not recklessly.
Not to kill.
To hurt her—just enough to save her.
It went against everything inside him. Every instinct that had always moved to protect her. But this wasn't about comfort. This wasn't about safety. This was survival, and he knew Sophia would sacrifice herself to ensure the group's survival.
