Chapter 12 · Knock on the Abyss

"One more inch and I'll carve that smirk right off your face," the Bone Lord hissed, the jagged edge of the blade biting into the skin of Jace's neck. A thin line of blood trickled down, hot and metallic.

Jace didn't flinch. He stared up into the empty sockets of the monster's skull, his voice rasping. "You're shaking. Is the big, bad Lord scared of a guy with nothing left to lose?"

"You're a glitch, Mercer. A mistake in the Deep," the Lord spat. He pressed harder, forcing Jace’s head back against the cold stone of the altar. "Who gave you the keys to this place? Who's paying you to play king in a graveyard?"

Lira stepped forward, her voice tight. "Let him go! He hasn't stolen anything!"

"Shut it, Anchorwright," the Lord snapped without looking at her. "Or you're next on the slab."

Jace felt the familiar hum of the System in the back of his skull. It wasn't just power; it was hunger. He could smell the Bone Lord's arrogance, but underneath it was a sliver of genuine doubt. The Lord didn't know why the altar had flared.