Chapter 21

I lingered in the hallway for a moment, unable to tear my eyes away from the spot where the blood had pooled. The eerie silence that followed the fight felt almost unnatural, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. The faint smell of iron hung in the air, mingling with the cold scent of stone. My pulse still pounded in my ears, my mind spinning with the brutal images of what had just unfolded.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, but eventually, the sound of footsteps behind me snapped me out of my trance. I turned to find Kira standing in the doorway, her face a mix of concern and wariness. She must have seen me watching from the edges of the crowd.

“You alright?” she asked, her voice gentle but firm.

I nodded, but my thoughts were far from calm. “Yeah… just... processing.”

Her gaze shifted to the bloodstained floor, her lips tightening. “That was a lot to take in. But it’s normal here. They’re not like us, Alex. They’re—”