Chapter 21: I’m not leaving you
"You have to save her."
Valeria’s voice was quiet but firm—almost final. Adam glanced at her, still surprised by her sudden appearance. He had gotten used to her smirks, to that lazy mockery in her gaze. But now... she looked different. Her eyes were narrow, focused. Her lips pressed tight. There was no room for jokes in the air. Adam felt his stomach sink like a stone.
Adam grimaced slightly at her words, glancing at the horde of rats.
"If I jump in there alone, I’ll be eaten too. It’s hopeless."
Valeria stepped half a pace closer, her eyes blazing with irritation.
"You have that damn manipulation skill! Use it! Think instead of standing there like a pole!"
Before he could answer, his attention shifted to the battlefield. The song still vibrated in the air, and under its influence, the team of five warriors underwent a sudden transformation.
Their movements became synchronized—brutally effective. Every strike landed where it should. Rats fell by the dozens. Adam watched their blades dance to the rhythm of the melody. In barely half a minute, the number of enemies around them dropped by nearly a third. Rats died everywhere he looked. For a moment, Adam felt a flicker of awe.
And then... the song stopped.
Like a knife slicing through the air. The echo of the woman’s voice vanished, and with it—the harmony.
The girl who had been singing staggered. Her leg was wounded, and her body trembled from exhaustion. She breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her temples.