Who's next?"
Aleron's voice was calm, almost soothing, as he glanced at the crowd in front of him. The people stared back, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fear. The tension in the room was suffocating.
He stood tall, his long, jet-black hair hung past his shoulders, and his pale face was carved with a regal, emotionless expression.
"Him!" the woman blurted out without hesitation, her voice trembling with urgency. She had short, curly brown hair plastered to her sweat-slicked forehead, and her trembling hands clenched tightly at her sides.
She knew any delay might cause the others to choose her instead, which would lead directly to her death.
The young man she pointed at flinched as if physically struck. His slender frame trembled and his skin turned ghostly pale.
