An Act of Mercy [4]

The sound of something sharp scraping against stone pierced Azriel's ears.

It felt like nails dragging through his mind, freezing the breath in his throat.

His body stiffened, locked in place.

A rare look of panic flickered across Leo's face, his usual smirk twisted into a grimace.

He clenched his teeth, hands curling into fists by his sides, the only sign of his tension.

The sound came from the dark passage where Vergil and Celestina stood, frozen in time.

It was as though time itself had ceased to exist, and only the oppressive, bone-chilling screech of metal against stone remained.

"This isn't real... it's all in your head... I think," Leo muttered, his voice low, uncertain.

It wasn't reassuring.

In fact, it was terrifying to hear him, the one who almost always had something snarky to say, falter like this.

Azriel stood paralyzed, the metallic screech growing louder, matching the rapid beat of his heart.