He knows

Ralph shuddered as Alex's words settled in.

Fear wasn't something he experienced often—not in this world, nor the one before it. But this? This was different.

This was the kind of fear that clawed at his gut, whispering that he had made a mistake.

But Ralph wasn't the type to back down.

Fear was just another wall to break through. Another obstacle to carve apart.

He tightened his grip on his sword, ready to unsheathe it in a single, fluid motion. His instincts screamed at him—attack first, think later.

But then—he felt it.

The sensation crept up his spine like ice water, sending a violent shiver through his body.

A presence.

No… not just a presence. A force.

Death itself lingered around him, unseen but undeniably real. It coiled around his limbs, pressed against his throat, as if invisible hands were waiting to squeeze the life out of him the moment he made the wrong move.