The wooden ledge cracked under his weight.
Noel lost his grip.
He didn't scream. There wasn't time.
His body dropped from the third floor like a stone, and he barely managed to twist mid-air before crashing onto a pile of trash bags and broken crates. Pain shot through his back and ribs as he rolled onto the ground, coughing dust and filth from his lungs.
But he didn't stop.
He sprang to his feet and ran.
"Shit, shit, shit."
His heartbeat was deafening, echoing in his skull louder than his footsteps on the stone.
'Lereus is the demon. That's confirmed. That bastard's not just playing games—he's feeding on students. I saw where they're being held, and now I know what happened to Laziel…'
He turned a corner and nearly slipped on the wet pavement.
'He was trembling… When he told him to kneel, he dropped like a puppet. He's being controlled. That's why he obeyed—why he doesn't seem like himself anymore.'
A low buzz rang in his ears as adrenaline surged through his veins.
