Chapter 193. Turmoil Within

Eryndor’s POV

Beneath the glittering spires of the underground city lay yet another tier—Nethral—where the city’s finance sector maintained its hidden stronghold. It was there that Nair and I had found ourselves locked in combat with Theron, the twisted leader of that sector. Nair, my steadfast companion, lay unconscious at my feet after Theron’s relentless onslaught. He had fallen to the ground like a felled oak, struck by well over a hundred phantom fists conjured from pink smoke. I could still hear the echo of each impact in my mind, a cruel symphony of blows.

Theron hovered above us, storming with a perverse delight. “How boring,” he sneered. “I wanted to see him cry out in agony—but no matter. I still have you to play with.” He grinned, his eyes glinting through the haze of his own pink smoke.

I tightened my grip on Venator, my prized hunter’s knife, but to my alarm the blade trembled violently in my hand. I willed the knife to steady itself, shifting