A silence swallowed the room like a black ocean.
Ethan stood there, staring at empty air, chest heaving so violently it felt like his ribcage would
crack open. His sword arm was trembling. Sweat poured down his temples and slid along his jaw,
dripping onto the wooden floor with soft splashes that seemed far too loud in the suffocating
stillness.
He tried to speak but only a strangled sound came out of his throat. His vision pulsed at the
edges.
He sucked in another shaky breath, forcing his lungs to fill. His entire body felt electric, as if the
woman's mere presence had left lightning still buzzing under his skin.
What the fuck…
He swallowed hard and finally rasped, "System… tell me you picked up something on that
woman."
A soft digital chime resonated in the silence.
[Processing query… Searching logs…]
Ethan's breath hitched as he waited, eyes glued to the floating translucent panels flickering before
