Chapter 257 - 256. The Silent Hunt (3)
Benedict was at a loss for words when he heard me. I let my Dragon’s Presence whip around the room, the energy crackling in the air like a storm barely contained, not even bothering to conceal my intentions. His fear was palpable, rolling off him in waves as he pressed himself against the door, eyes darting for any means of escape.
"Wh-Why... Who sent you?" he stammered, voice shaky but defiant. "The nobles! They sent you, didn’t they?! How dare you! This is the Holy Temple of the Saintess and the Dragons!"
I tilted my head, amused by his desperate attempts to grasp at straws. "I wasn’t sent by anyone, Benedict." My voice was calm, controlled. The way his eyes widened at my tone was almost satisfying.
His hand fumbled with the doorknob, twisting it frantically. When that failed, he pounded on the wood with both fists, the sound echoing hollowly in the empty hallway.
"Y-You won’t get away with this! How dare you break into a High Priest’s room! You’ll be charged with... with a death sentence!" His voice rose in pitch, cracking under the weight of his panic.
I watched him, unbothered. "You’re not royalty, Benedict. I wouldn’t get a death sentence for paying you a little visit." I took a deliberate step forward, watching as he flinched. "Besides, a man destined to die doesn’t need to worry about what comes after. Once you’re dead, everything ends. It’s simple, really."
The color drained from his face, leaving him pale and trembling. His hands scrabbled at the door again, movements growing more erratic. "H-Help! Anyone! There’s an intruder in my room! Is... Is anyone out there?!"
His voice echoed in vain. I didn’t need to glance around to confirm that the wing was empty. My mana senses were sharp, extending outward and detecting every faint presence within the temple. No one was near enough to hear his pathetic cries. He was alone. Trapped.
I pushed off the windowsill, my steps slow and deliberate as I approached him. His back pressed harder against the door, as if willing it to absorb him and offer an escape. His mouth opened again, ready to scream, but the weight of my Presence bore down on him, stealing the breath from his lungs.
My Dragon’s Presence pressed heavier on his chest, tightening around his throat like an invisible noose, suffocating him with each strained breath he managed to take. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable, the desperation growing as he tried, and failed, to muster any semblance of control.
"Want to scream?" I asked, my voice low and deadly, as I stood over him, watching his every trembling movement. His body was trembling with the effort to fight against the mounting pressure, each second dragging him closer to the brink of collapse.