The gunshot did not miss, and it did not hesitate. It cut cleanly through the chaos, sharp and final, and for a brief second the entire chamber seemed to freeze as the bullet struck its mark with brutal precision.
Dorian's hand took the hit. The impact tore through flesh and bone with a sickening crack, forcing his grip open instantly as the gun slipped from his control and clattered hard against the ground. Pain ripped through him, raw and unrestrained, dragging a shout from his throat that echoed violently across the enclosed space.
For the first time since this began, he lost control—not strategically, not temporarily, but completely.
Vivian dropped the moment his hold broke. Her body gave way without resistance, strength draining out of her as she hit the ground hard, blood spreading beneath her in a widening stain. Her breathing came shallow and uneven, her vision slipping as the world around her fractured into blurred motion and distant sound.
