Without waiting for an answer, Leo lunged forward, his hand clamping around Glain's throat with terrifying strength. The sound of the old man's strangled gasp filled the battlefield as Leo lifted him effortlessly off the ground. Glain's legs kicked weakly, his staff slipping from his grasp, the light within it dimming.
"Pathetic," Leo hissed, his grip tightening. Frost began creeping along his arm, freezing the very air around them. "You talk about courage, but look at you now, nothing but a dying old man choking on his pride."
Glain's face turned pale, his hands clawing at Leo's wrist in vain. His body trembled, the once-vibrant aura of the druid flickering like a dying ember.
Not far away, Rafael dragged himself through the rubble, his body shaking uncontrollably. His vision blurred with tears and blood, but still, he crawled one arm after another, toward them.
"P–Please…" he gasped, his voice strangled. "Don't… kill him… I beg you…"
