Kayden
The first thing that came was the sound.
A sharp, echoing crack split through the air like ice fracturing beneath a heavy blade, and then, the world exploded into pain.
It tore across my face before I could even register what was happening, my head snapping to the side as the force of the impact sent me staggering.
My vision blurred instantly. For a few seconds, there was nothing but a suffocating darkness, followed by the thick, metallic taste of blood pooling in my mouth.
"Stand up!" The voice screamed at me.
My chest heaved, my breath coming in uneven, jagged stabs. My fingers trembled where they pressed against the ground—cold, unforgiving, and rough. It wasn't ice. It was concrete.
"I said stand up!" the voice shrieked again.
A hand appeared in my blurred field of vision, grabbing my collar and yanking me upright so violently my body could barely keep up.
I slowly forced my eyes to focus on my tormentor, meeting the dark, hollow eyes of Julius.
