Liam's breath was ragged, his grip tightening on his sword, but his body refused to move. The void around him pressed in, suffocating, the weight of Seraphina's presence bearing down like an unshakable shadow.
"You remind me of myself, you know," Seraphina mused, still behind him. "A long time ago, I thought just like you. I believed there was a line—demons were the enemy, humans were… something else. Something worth protecting." She let out a quiet chuckle, but there was no warmth in it.
Liam gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching so hard it hurt.
Seraphina continued, unhurried. "Back then, I was naive—strong, capable, but naive. I thought my enemies were just monsters with claws and fangs. That was before I watched my so-called allies sell me out for a handful of gold. Before I watched the people I bled for turn their backs when I needed them most. And you know what the worst part was?"