The Man’s Decree – Chapter 5976

The instant his words landed, the valley's air clamped tight, as if the land itself held its breath.

The shout split the smoky air. "No!"

Jared's shoulders stiffened before he even turned; that single syllable carried the weight of everyone's fear, and it landed squarely between his ribs.

A second voice, harsher, followed a heartbeat later, "Absolutely not!"

The refusal echoed off the cracked stone walls, piling urgency on the first.