"Let's fight," Kaelen repeated, his purple eyes fixed on Alex with an unnerving stillness.
Jaros moved first. His hand went to his weapon, but before he could draw, Kaelen's gaze flickered toward him. Just a glance. Nothing more. Yet Jaros froze mid motion, his fingers trembling against his hilt.
"This doesn't concern you," Kaelen said quietly.
Alex raised a hand. "Stand down, everyone."
Seraphina's jaw tightened. "Alex, you can't be serious. This man—"
"I said stand down."
The command carried no anger. No urgency. Just absolute finality. The group retreated slowly, forming a loose perimeter around the two combatants. Snow continued to fall, dusting the crimson ground with fresh white.
Kaelen tilted his head slightly. "You sent your people away. Good. They would have died."
"Probably," Alex agreed. "So would you have, if you attacked them."
A flicker of something passed through Kaelen's eyes. Interest, perhaps. Or amusement. It was hard to tell.
