The commanders approached Liam's team, their footsteps heavy and deliberate, their shadows looming like harbingers of doom. Iron Fang sneered as he looked down at the helpless figures, his voice dripping with mockery. "Look at them. Pathetic. They thought they could escape."
Stone Ox let out a low, rumbling laugh. "They're nothing but worms, squirming in the dirt."
Thunder Palm's eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "Soon, they'll be nothing but corpses. The melody of the flute will finish, and the shadow worms will finish releasing their venom. They'll die screaming, just like the rest before them."
Liam's heart ached as he watched his team suffer, their bodies convulsing on the ground. His eyes lingered on Rin, her face contorted in pain, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. He couldn't bear to see her like this, couldn't bear the thought of losing her.
"Stop!" Liam begged, his voice choked with desperation. "Please, we surrender! Just… just stop the flute!"
