The man lifted one hand, palm open, and the compressed space blade simply dissolved into motes of silver light. Before either Ivan or Voss could retaliate against the intruder, his dark eyes swept across the room, and he whispered a single, absolute word:
"Sleep."
The world instantly tilted. Felicity watched Voss's knees buckle first, his massive frame crumpling like a puppet with cut strings. Then Ivan, she felt his grip loosen, his steady heartbeat stutter against her back, and his arms went entirely slack. He fell backward, and Felicity tumbled with him.
Clara collapsed straight across.
Alice fell heavily against the lemon trees, her ragdoll ears splayed flat in the dirt. The darkness rushed in, swallowing Felicity's vision entirely.
The man stepped forward to secure her, but he had vastly underestimated the sheer, terrifying resilience of a level 98 beast.
Thump.
A massive, scarred hand clamped directly around the man's ankle.
