Aldric stared down at the crumpled form of his son.
The boy lay entirely motionless on the cold marble floor, a stark crimson trail of blood leaking from his pale lips and pooling slightly against the stone.
Aldric's eyes immediately zeroed in on the iron key still clutched tightly in Jin's unconscious fingers.
The Baron's expression hardened into a severe, calculating scowl. He took a slow, heavy step forward, his boots echoing in the silent corridor, and reached down toward the boy.
"Just what are you trying to do, Father?"
The voice was a sudden, freezing breeze that sliced straight through the heavy tension of the hallway.
Aldric froze, his hand hovering mere inches from Jin's shoulder.
He turned his head sharply. Standing a few paces down the shadowed corridor was Cassandra.
