A guttural scream shattered the silence.
"GET OUT!" the man bellowed, eyes wild, his face contorted with raw fury. "Both of you! You don't belong here! When will you finally leave me alone?!"
He pointed an accusing finger at Roman, then at Nereva, his hands trembling with emotion.
"People like you... the powerful... all you do is scorn the weak! You only ever talk about yourselves! Look around you—look at the damage you've caused!"
Two youths stepped forward—a boy with a hardened face beyond his years, and a girl whose eyes brimmed with tears. They gently took the man by the arms.
His gaze dropped to the children, shame washing over him. His voice cracked, reduced to a broken whisper.
"This is my fault... I ruined everything... I promised you peace... and now it's threatened because of me..."
A laugh rang out.
Nereva.
"How touching," she said. "But how utterly boring."
She lazily raised a hand—and a black tendril shot toward the two children.
A whistle in the air.
