Grey stood at the edge of the courtyard and watched Brad pull.
The hammer didn't move. Not even a fraction.
Brad's arms trembled hard enough that the muscles beneath his skin seemed to ripple, though there wasn't much muscle left anymore. His fingers had gone pale around the handle, his shoulders hunched forward, and every few breaths his knees threatened to buckle before he somehow forced them straight again.
Grey could hear the strain in his breathing from where he stood, each inhale shallow and rough, but Brad still didn't let go.
But... Grey wasn't sure that Brad could let go even if he had wanted to. He was basically forced to continue to stand there until the hammer gave way or he did. That was the cruelty of The Relentless' test.
