Bab 99: Do we have a deal?

Quin lay on the ground, his body motionless, his unblinking eyes fixed on the vast expanse of the sky above. A single thought reverberated relentlessly in his mind, echoing like a haunting refrain, "How did he best me? How did he best me? How did he best me?"

A profound sense of shock had seized Quin, his entire countenance reflecting the confusion that consumed him. He had never seen Ethan as someone worth fighting, yet victory had eluded him by the narrowest of margins, leaving him bewildered and disheartened.

In the midst of this profound moment, Ethan held Lilith tenderly in his arms, his gaze shifting from the fallen warrior to the princess he now knew her to be.