The heavy silence of the corridor shattered in an instant.
I raised the sword on instinct, lifting the heavy steel just in time to form a desperate, trembling shield between myself and the approaching darkness.
The man didn't even slow down.
He didn't flinch, didn't dodge. He simply lunged forward, a towering mass of muscle and malice, and his fist slammed directly into the flat of my blade.
The impact exploded through my arms like a thunderclap. A sickening crack echoed in my ears as the sheer force of the blow tore through my wrists, sending a violent wave of white-hot pain shooting up to my shoulders. My muscles instantly gave out. The sword flew from my hands, clattering uselessly against the stone floor, the echo ringing out like a death knell.
Before I could even gasp, a heavy, calloused hand wrapped around my throat.
