Chapter 75: Losing Control
The acolyte’s taunting words died in his throat, replaced by a strangled gasp.
The air in the common room of "The Respite" had plummeted in temperature so much that an unnatural frost was creeping across the floorboards.
The acolyte felt an oppressive presence, a weight so immense it stole the breath from his lungs and rooted his feet to the spot.
He wasn’t the only one. The city guards, the other acolyte, even the people on the floor, everyone felt it – a chilling cold that seized their hearts.
Then, Riku was there.
One moment, the space behind the sneering acolyte was empty. The next, Riku stood, his back to the ruined doorway that was once the inn’s entrance.
He hadn’t walked in; he had simply appeared, seemingly materializing from the very shadows and chill that now filled the room.
For a minute, he did nothing.
He simply stood there, an unnerving stillness about him. His usual gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by an aura of cold, silent fury. His eyes, usually warm and thoughtful, were narrowed slits, and within their depths swirled a faint, unsettling purple light.