Zahir was taken entirely by surprise the moment Isiah crossed the threshold into the grand hall. Discovering his former victim standing before him in such a defiant posture elicited zero shame or embarrassment from the tyrant, yet a sharp prick of regret flashed through his mind, realizing he should have hunted the mortal down the precise moment he stole Eijar from his possession.
Even as Isiah advanced with murderous intent, Zahir's gaze drifted instinctively toward Eijar, eager to brand her mind with terrifying memories of her past captivity.
Had Eijar retained the vast, apocalyptic power she wielded back when she walked the realm under the name Lucas, she would never have cowered in such a pathetic manner.
Yet losing her ancient strength and being forced to restart her cyclical ascension had flooded her consciousness with raw vulnerability, leaving her intensely fragile and paralyzed by fear.
