A sharp knock on the door cut through her groggy state, followed by a low-ranked soldier’s voice, taut with urgency. “This is the Royal Guard! We’re investigating the town for a wanted criminal with a hefty price on her head!”
Felix’s eyes met Mela’s, his concern hardening into cold resolve. “Looks like we’ve got company,” he said. “Hide under the bed. I’ll handle this.”
Mela tried to protest. “I’m alright—” But a violent cough ripped through her, blood splattering onto the floor.
Felix’s gaze softened for a fleeting moment before he gently pushed her under the bed. Mela’s body trembled from the effort, her breaths shallow and ragged.
The soldier’s voice sharpened. “I think something’s wrong. I’m busting the door down!”
The door was flung open with a crash. The soldier’s eyes widened as he stumbled into the room.
“What the—”
His words were abruptly silenced as a crossbow bolt pierced his head, the force of the impact hurling him back outside with a heavy thud. The townsfolk and Lady Elara’s Royal Guards, who had been gathering in a tense, expectant cluster, froze in stunned disbelief.
Felix stepped out, his demeanor cold and detached, casually walking over the lifeless body. “What a drag. Who’s next?”
Lady Elara’s face contorted with fury and disbelief. “Surround this filthy wretch! Seize him, you useless fools!”
The low-ranked soldiers, initially frozen in shock, snapped back to reality. Scrambling, they formed a tight circle around Felix, their expressions a mix of fear and forced determination. They had no idea what was coming.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Felix’s robe billowed as he drew his crossbow, his smirk laced with mockery. A relentless volley of bolts tore through the ranks.
Lady Elara’s eyes burned with rage and horror. “How dare you! You’re all worthless!”
As the last soldier fell, Felix lowered his crossbow with chilling calm. With slow, deliberate ease, he wiped the blood from his face—his grin never wavering.
Lady Elara’s fury boiled over. “Do I have to do everything myself?!” She swung her leg over her saddle, preparing to dismount.
Before she could move further, Sir Gideon Ravenshade, the towering bodyguard, stepped in. His armor gleamed with the kingdom’s emblem, and his heavy Warhammer was strapped to his back. He spoke with icy authority. “Calm yourself, My Lady. Let me handle this.”
Lady Elara hesitated before clicking her teeth, looking away in frustration.
Sir Gideon dismounted his horse and walked toward Felix. “We will give you one last chance to surrender. Or else, you will die here with that dog behind you.”
Felix, unfazed by the towering figure before him, met Gideon’s piercing gaze with a challenge. “Test me then,” he replied, his voice dripping with defiance as he slowly advanced toward Gideon.
As Felix approached, he looked up at Gideon, who gazed down with cold indifference. Felix’s lips curled into a sardonic grin. “Try to hit me.”
“As You Wish!” Gideon responded, his voice thunderous.
In a heartbeat, Gideon swung his Warhammer in a downward arc. But his eyes widened as his massive form was split in half, his imposing figure collapsing in grotesque chunks onto the cobblestone. The Warhammer tumbled from his grip, landing with a heavy thud.
Gideon thought, What… he didn’t even draw his weapon—the world blurred around him as his eyes went lifeless. The last thing he saw was Felix slowly sheathing his katana. Silence followed.
Lady Elara was frozen, her eyes wide in horror, her mouth agape. Her rage had turned to paralyzed disbelief. Felix’s gaze met hers, cold and unyielding, his expression a blend of grim satisfaction and disdain.
With a smirk curling his lips and his hair falling across his face in a shadowy veil, Felix exhaled,
“Seems like your dog’s had his day.”
The air crackled with charged silence, the brutality of the scene echoing Felix’s words. The town’s once vibrant chaos had turned into a scene of devastation, with Felix’s chilling calm at the epicenter of the storm.