Chapter 79
Kael did not move when the pressure settled.
The four figures didn't advance, didn't strike, but their presence didn't fade either. It stayed, precise and controlled, locked onto him in a way that made it clear distance wouldn't change anything. For a few seconds, it felt like everything had paused on the edge of something unfinished.
Then, just as quietly as they had appeared, the pressure shifted.
Not gone. Not retreating. Just… pulling back enough to release the space without fully leaving it. The air loosened slightly, the weight lifting just enough for movement to be possible again, but Kael could still feel them. Watching. Measuring. Waiting for what he would do next.
That was worse than if they had attacked.
Kael did not leave.
