The narrow corridor echoed with Gram''s panicked footsteps as he stumbled and ran ahead, the occasional stumbling was the proof of his desperation. Nebula and I walked leisurely behind him, her arm looped through mine, a wicked grin playing on her lips as she watched him struggle.

    "Look at him go," she teased, her voice dripping with amusement. "For someone who talks so big, he''s not very good at running, is he?"

    I smirked. "He''s trying his best, sweetheart. Let him tire himself out."

    Nebula chuckled but wasn''t done with her taunts. "Careful, Gram," she called out mockingly. "You might trip and break that fragile little pride of yours!"

    Gram stopped abruptly, his shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths. Spinning around, he raised a trembling hand, a crackling aura forming around his palm. "I''m not running!" he barked, trying to muster some resemblance of authority. "You think you can humiliate me like this? I am still—"

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    Before he could finish, I closed the distance between us in an instant, catching his wrist mid-air. The aura around his hand flickered and vanished as I tightened my grip, forcing him to his knees. "Still what?" I asked coldly, my tone low but sharp.

    Nebula didn''t wait for me to finish. She spun on her heel, her dress swirling around her, and delivered a flawless kick to Gram''s chest. The force of it sent him hurtling backward, blasting the door behind him off its hinges. He crashed into the next room, skidding across the floor before coming to a stop in the center of a grand hall.

    Nebula brushed a strand of hair from her face and smirked. "Oops. Guess I overdid it."

    I chuckled. "You''re as subtle as ever."

    We stepped through the shattered doorway into the expansive hall. The air was heavy with an intoxicating mix of power and depravity. To our sides stood rows of witches and warriors, their eyes sharp and calculating as they took in our presence.

    "Ahhh-yea...more..."

    "Fuck me more..."

    Nebula, however, didn''t share my unease. With a joyful cry, she ran forward, her arms outstretched.

    "Father!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with unexpected warmth. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I missed you!"

    I blinked in disbelief...like What the hell? I wasn''t expecting this. I figured she''d lash out at him or at least confront him about everything.

    The man—her father—finally opened his eyes, revealing irises that glowed with an unsettling light. His gaze didn''t linger on Nebula; instead, it shifted immediately to me.

    The air in the room shifted violently. The ground beneath me trembled as an invisible force crashed down, far heavier than anything I had felt before. It was as if gravity itself had multiplied a thousandfold, dragging me to my knees. My legs shook under the strain, and I clenched my jaw, trying to fight against the overwhelming pressure.

    Gram cackled weakly, pointing at me. "See, Master? He''s nothing compared to you! Crush him like the insect he is!"

    I ignored him, my focus entirely on Nebula''s father. His gaze was piercing, as though he was looking straight through me, stripping away every layer of my defenses.

    Nebula turned to look at me, her expression shifting to concern. "Father, stop," she said softly. "You''re proving your point already."

    The pressure didn''t disappear. My arms trembled as I pushed against the floor, trying to steady myself.

    I gritted my teeth, summoning what little aura I could muster...Come on, just a little more...

    The effort was futile. No matter how much I tried, the force pressing down on me refused to relent. My aura flickered weakly around me, barely a shadow of its usual strength.

    "What is this power?" I muttered under my breath, my voice barely audible.

    The man on the throne said nothing, his eyes still locked on me as though waiting for something. The oppressive silence stretched on, the weight of his presence suffocating everything around him.@@@@