I'm here to make a deal

Zander watched as Ron's body trembled, the weight of his words crashing down on him like an unstoppable tide. The man's breath came in short, panicked gasps, his pupils dilated in pure, unfiltered horror.

Zander's lips curled into a slow, cruel smile. He leaned in, his voice a hushed whisper dripping with venom.

"Yes, you got it right."

Ron's entire body locked up.

"You killed your own daughter."

A violent shudder tore through Ron's frame. His lips parted, but no words came out—only a choking sound, a silent scream trapped in his throat.

Zander's grin widened. He tapped Ron's cheek lightly, like a predator toying with its prey.

"Your own honeypie."

Ron's eyes were wild, searching for an escape that didn't exist. He wanted to deny it, to scream that it wasn't true. But the truth had already burrowed itself deep inside him, poisoning everything.

Zander chuckled, his breath warm against Ron's ear.

"And the best part?" His voice was almost giddy. "You killed her… for me."

Ron whimpered, his face twisted in anguish. He lurched forward, trying to grab Zander's collar, but his arms refused to move.

Zander pulled back, throwing his head back in laughter, a chilling, hysterical sound that echoed through the battlefield.

"Haaa…!" He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "How poetic. You murdered your own flesh and blood—your sweet little girl—just to protect the very person who orchestrated your downfall."

Ron's chest heaved. His vision blurred. He felt his soul cracking, shattering beyond repair.

Zander crouched beside him, resting an elbow on his knee. His voice softened, but the cruelty never left.

"Tell me, Ron." Zander tilted his head, his voice laced with feigned curiosity. "How does it feel? To know that the one person you wanted to protect most... died by your own hands?"

Ron didn't answer.

He couldn't.

Because, in that moment, his world had ceased to exist.

The weight of the truth crashed over him like an unrelenting tide, drowning him in agony beyond words. His breath came in shallow gasps, his body trembling as if trying to reject the very reality that had just been thrust upon him.

Then, a voice broke through the suffocating silence.

"You… you are a monster in human form!"

A noble, his face twisted in outrage, pointed an accusing finger at Zander.

Zander's irritated gaze snapped to him. "Yes, I am a monster." His voice was sharp, edged with something far darker. "But deep down, aren't we all? You sit in your silk-draped halls, feasting while the poor starve, and yet you dare to judge me?"

The noble flinched. His lips quivered as he averted his gaze, shame washing over him like a tide he couldn't resist.

Zander sneered. "And this bastard—" he yanked Ron up by his hair, forcing him to look at everyone. "—this pathetic waste of breath killed a twelve-year-old girl. An innocent child who just wanted a normal, happy life!"

His grip tightened. The hatred burning in his eyes was enough to make Ron's soul wither.

Then Zander threw him down.

And kicked.

Once. Twice. Again and again. Each impact was driven by unrelenting fury.

"This bastard—!" Another kick. "—stabbed her over and over—!" Another. "—just to satisfy his twisted mind!"

Ron's body curled up, barely able to react as his ribs cracked under the relentless assault. Blood dribbled from his mouth, mixing with the dirt beneath him.

"What did that girl ever do to you, huh?!" Zander roared, his voice breaking with rage.

"Enough."

Zed's voice cut through the madness.

Zander froze, chest heaving. His eyes flickered toward Zed, then down at his own trembling hands.

Slowly, he exhaled. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, straightened his bloodstained clothes, and let out a slow chuckle.

"Alright, alright." He dusted himself off, his demeanor shifting back to eerie calmness. "Then, shall we get to business?"

He turned toward the nobles.

As he took a single step forward, every noble instinctively took a step back.

"Well, would you look at that?" Zander smirked. "Relax. I'm not here to kill you."

A collective sigh rippled through the group, but their relief was short-lived.

"I'm here to make a deal."

The tension thickened. The nobles exchanged wary glances.

"If you want to live, you'll accept it. Or… you can all die here."

Silence.

The weight of his words pressed down on them like an iron fist.

One by one, the nobles' faces twisted in hesitation, then begrudging acceptance. They were trapped. There was no choice.

"...Fine," one of them muttered.

The others nodded.

"Good." Zander clapped his hands together. "Then sign this contract."

He tossed a stack of parchment onto the table. As the nobles picked up the documents and began to read, their faces contorted in horror.

Their hands trembled. Their breath hitched.

It wasn't a contract. It was a death sentence.

The terms were clear:

A mandatory payment of 500,000 gold as immediate compensation.

50% of their yearly earnings—excluding taxes—would now belong to the Ravenhart family.

All unpaid taxes must be settled immediately.

From this moment forward, a 24% tax would be imposed on all noble estates.

Lastly, absolute silence was required. Should even a single word about this contract leak, the offender's head would roll within seconds, and every last piece of their wealth and land would be seized by the Ravenharts.

"This is bullshit!" One noble slammed his fist onto the table. "You can't possibly expect us to—"

Boom.

His head exploded.

Gasps filled the room. Blood splattered onto the horrified nobles.

A blue light flickered in the air—Zander's hand still raised.

Not Zed this time.

Zander had used the same magic.

The nobles reeled back, eyes wide with terror. Their legs trembled as realization set in.

There was no negotiating.

There was no bargaining.

They had no power here.

Survival was their only option.

Their hands shook as they reached for the quills.

One noble hesitated, his face pale, his lips pressing into a thin line. His pride screamed at him to resist, to fight back, to not let this nobody dictate his fate.

But then he looked at the still-warm corpse beside him.

A mess of brains and blood where a man once stood.

The stench of death curled in his nostrils.

And just like that, his pride shattered.

He signed.

The others followed. One after another, ink staining parchment, each stroke sealing their fates.

They signed away their wealth.

They signed away their dignity.

They signed away everything they had fought to build.

Because, in the end…

Humans will do anything to survive.

They will throw away their pride, their morals, their very souls.

They will kneel. They will beg.

And when faced with absolute power, they will choose the one thing that matters above all else—

To live.

Here's the refined version with deeper impact and flow:

Zander turned to Zed, a smirk playing on his lips. "He's all yours."

Without hesitation, Zed raised a hand, and Zander vanished into thin air—his duty complete.

The four Ravenhart guards, who had stood as silent witnesses to the chaos, remained rooted in place. Their expressions were unreadable, but the weight of what they had seen hung thick in the air.

Zed's voice broke the silence, calm yet absolute. "Kill the remaining bandits. As for the nobles… take them to White Beauty."

A cold pause followed.

"They should witness Sir Jaeger's death ceremony firsthand."

The nobles stiffened. Some gasped. Others swallowed back their fear, their eyes darting between each other in silent horror.

There was no room for protest. No chance to escape.

Their fates were sealed.

Here's the refined version with more depth and tension:

Zed stepped forward, his boots crunching against the bloodstained ground as he approached Habil.

The man barely held himself upright, his entire body trembling. Sweat beaded down his forehead, his face drained of all color. He had come seeking vengeance, yet now, he stood before something far more terrifying than he had ever imagined.

Zed stopped just inches away, looking down at him with an expression devoid of sympathy. "Don't worry," he said, his voice disturbingly calm. "I'm not going to kill you."

Habil exhaled shakily, relief flickering in his eyes—only for it to be crushed in the next instant.

"It's only natural for a father to hold a grudge against his son's murderer."

Habil's breath hitched. His eyes went wide in horror.

Zed tilted his head slightly, watching the realization dawn upon him. "Yes," he continued, his tone laced with quiet cruelty. "I was the one who killed your dear Will Greyrat."

The world around Habil seemed to blur. His knees wobbled, his lips parted, but no words came out.

Zed took another step closer, leaning in just enough for his next words to slip like poison into Habil's ears.

"Do you want to know what really happened that night?"