Dylan stood frozen, chilled by the oppressive silence thickening around him.
The corpse of the giant lizard lay on one side, Maggie's battered body on the other, and him—just standing there in the middle—nothing more than an intruder.
He watched, without fully grasping it, as the young elf rushed to Maggie, trying to lift her up. But he still couldn't move.
It was like time had stopped. Or maybe shattered. He had just witnessed something he'd thought impossible.
And yet, something inside him was boiling. He couldn't quite put a name on it—a mix of frustration, a low-burning rage, and… admiration. Yes, a deep admiration for Maggie's fierce determination.
Dylan was among the few who took pride in their species. A kind of visceral attachment to humanity, despite its flaws. He knew human cruelty far too well—had faced it on the battlefield, time and time again.
But it had never dulled his pride in being what he was.
