The Blade’s Bargain

The warehouse trembled as Veyra's words hung in the air—"Decide fast—or he decides for you"—her silver-armored figure a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding her. Shards of the shattered skylight glittered on the concrete floor, reflecting the faint violet glow of the rift seeping through the cracks above. Her longsword, glowing with a pure, white light, remained steady in her grip, its tip pointed at the Holloway family, not in threat but in challenge. Her gray eyes, sharp and unyielding, bore into Elara, cutting through the haze of exhaustion and fear that clouded her mind.