Chapter 16: No Way Out
Joren Tael clenched his right fist and jabbed it toward the ground with a sharp motion.
Crack!
Charles felt a chill and, before he could overthink it, the floor beneath him quaked—a faint but unmistakable tremor.
'Crap!' he thought, leaping back on pure instinct.
Whoosh!
Right where he'd stood, the earth spiked up in jagged points, like it was trying to snag him.
The attack missed, and the spikes froze, lifeless, as dust drifted in the air.
Joren clicked his tongue, clearly ticked off.
"Hold still!" he shouted, his voice thick with frustration. "Keep resisting, and I'll add to the report that you didn't just steal a fighter's tunic—you fought back against your punishment too."
His eyes burned with anger, his stance rigid, like he was holding back the urge to tackle Charles himself.
Charles, still catching his balance, let out a short laugh.