TWO BROKEN RULES

The mortal tensed in front of him, his muscles coiled like a spring. Luciano cleared his throat awkwardly, backing away from him. His hand dropped from the grip he had on his jaw. The air grew thick with tension as his intense gaze pierced through him and time seemed to slow to a crawl as they all remained frozen, locked in this precarious standoff.

"What do we have here then?" Grim mused, squinting his dark eyes at them suspiciously. His gruff voice cut through the silence, drawing both their attention.

He glanced between the mortal and the reaper, his heart unwittingly pounding in his chest. The mortal clenched his jaw, his brow furrowed in what appeared to be a mixture of anger and... was that hurt?