Aria's eyes opened slowly.
The pain she had been waiting for still had not come.
Instead she felt the weight over her shift, and when she looked up, the monster pinning her was no longer staring at her throat.
All of them had turned their gaze.
She followed their gaze.
Jake stood at the mouth of the tunnel in his dark coat, sword drawn, red aura cracking the stone under his feet.
A vein stood out at his temple.
His brown eyes, edged with red, were locked on the scene in front of him.
Aria's lips parted.
Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.
"…Sir Jake."
Jake's gaze fell upon her, noticing her torn uniform, the weary, drained expression on her face, and how she struggled to keep her eyes open.
His gaze held no lust.
Instead, the sight ignited another wave of anger, even more intense than before.
He tightened his grip on the sword until the leather wrapping the hilt creaked.
