Ebony, upon hearing that the old man already knew her secret of being a Visitor, could only widen her eyes before taking a direct blow to the throat.
"I'm sorry, little one… You helped me very well. Without you, I don't think I could've defeated my brother… But even so, I'm afraid I can't let you live."
Marcus said calmly while, in front of him, the blonde girl began to stagger, struggling to breathe.
Seeing the imminent danger, Ebony tried to run, but the lack of air kept her mind from controlling her legs.
In an instant, the old man stepped in and, with a precise, calculated strike to the back of her neck, knocked her unconscious.
Clinging to her fading awareness as her body hit the frozen ground, Ebony saw blood-stained leather boots before everything went dark.
.
.
.
Hours passed, and Ebony woke up with her hands bound inside an iron cage, marked by crude craftsmanship.
