Haruki's mind was currently under siege by four to five years' worth of memories. The images, the voices, and the emotions tied to each event crashed down like a boulder, forcefully filling every gap of the missing pieces.
Even as he tried to push them aside to focus on the moment, they resisted—each recollection intensifying the ache in his mind as if retaliating.
Lanling held Haruki by the waist, letting him lean on his chest and shoulders. But as soon as he noticed Alba's state, his hold became possessive, his eyes narrowing into a glare.
Bloodlust—honed over years of skirmishes on the battlefield—leaked from him, and his face darkened, his murderous gaze gleaming in the darkness.
Alba's shoulders twitched, as if sensing the danger. The invisible blade poised against his neck snapped him back to awareness, and his gaze met the eyes of a predator.