The black knight pulled its blade from Julia's chest.
Her body dropped with a dull thud. Blood spilled into the cracks of the broken ground, snaking through the dirt like veins in stone.
Ash watched, frozen.
Then came the scream—
"JULIAAA!"
Horthgar.
He tore across the field, wild eyes locked on the knight. Rage drove him like a cannonball, the ground shaking beneath each step.
Osric and Emma turned at the sound, and when they saw her body, something in their faces broke.
Horthgar didn't slow.
His fist, massive and bloodied, crashed forward.
The black knight turned its head—just slightly.
The punch missed, cutting through air.
Another strike followed, this one landing. The knight staggered a step back.
Then it straightened, slow and smooth, lifting its sword like it weighed nothing.
Horthgar roared, throwing his fist again—
Steel split the air.
A blade pierced his back.
His eyes went wide.
Osric and Emma turned sharply.
Their own opponent—gone.
