Ricky stared at her, his compound eyes cold and steady. There was no ripple in his aura, no twitch in his mandibles. Even with his instincts screaming and the battlefield pressing down like a mountain of bones, he did his very best to maintain the appearance of calm.
He couldn't afford a single mistake.
The undead princess shifted her gaze lazily across the desolate battlefield, her expression unreadable—until her bright, amethyst eyes finally landed on him.
A delicate brow rose slightly. Her tone, when she spoke, was both casual and condescending.
"You're still here? Quite bold of you."
Her words weren't sharp like blades, but more like silk—soft, amused, and insulting all the same.
Ricky's mind paused. He hadn't expected such a comment. Why wouldn't I be here? he thought instinctively, his confusion flickering just beneath the surface. Where else would I go?
