Kai stepped into the mouth of the alley, eyes already glowing faintly with intent. The two thieves stood between stacks of refuse and broken crates, blades half-drawn.
They didn't speak.
They didn't need to.
The challenge was clear.
Kai raised a hand.
The first barrier shimmered into place with a flicker of silver light. Then another. Then another. Ten layers deep, pressed tightly into the confines of the alley. There would be no witnesses.
The thieves charged.
Kai snapped his fingers. A lance of sharpened bone erupted from the earth beneath the first man, impaling him through the stomach and launching him upward like a ragdoll. His scream was short, cut off mid-breath as the lance cracked through his ribcage and spine, leaving him twitching in midair.
The second man shouted, rushing forward with a clumsy swing of his dagger.
