Alden stood alone in the aftermath—blood staining the ground, smoke still lingering.
He exhaled, slow and steady.
"So that's what fighting a well-coordinated team feels like."
He glanced at the unconscious Lira.
Still breathing.
Her body didn't have a single scratch.
She hadn't resisted much. Barely took a minute before she spilled everything—maps, inventory, hidden exits.
Every little secret her pride had told her to guard.
Useful? Sure.
But was she worth keeping alive?
He stared down at her with a blank expression.
The answer was obvious.
Nope.
She was the young miss of some so-called great noble house.
Pyrellan, was it?
Fancy name.
Likely had political reach, family influence, and backup dogs waiting somewhere out there.
Even if they couldn't reach him in here, he wasn't about to leave loose ends.
Keeping her alive was a liability.
A rookie mistake.
Especially after he had killed all her teammates.
He wasn't that stupid.
So he did the most sensible thing.
