Randall stared at his trembling hands.
"How?"
The question echoed again and again inside his mind. After going through wars that had shattered and rebuilt his mental fortitude, he had never imagined that one day he would feel the same helpless terror just from a single stare.
Yet he was not alone.
Everyone present felt the same.
Amid the suffocating pressure, Duke Phillips managed to steady himself. His breathing was rough, but he forced his body to obey. He turned his head and saw Ethan standing unyielding, his feet planted firmly on the ground. However, a solemn worry flickered across Ethan's face, one that did not go unnoticed.
Duke Phillips followed Ethan's gaze toward those distant eyes that were pressing down on them from miles away. A memory surfaced in his mind, one he wished he had forgotten.
"Ethan," he said hoarsely. "Don't tell me it's that."
Ethan paused and lowered his gaze to meet Duke Phillips' eyes.
"Sadly, yes."
