Theo's chest heaved.
Another second passed and his eyes hardened. This Rolf was hit badly by his Ember Blast a while ago.
"You made your choice," he whispered coldly. "And I can't take that risk. You're already mutating to a Meteorborn."
With one sharp, brutal strike of his axe to his head, powered by a final surge of Iron Vein Protocol, Theo silenced him for good. Blood spread beneath Rolf's lifeless form.
Beatrice gasped faintly behind him, shaken but unharmed. Theo knelt beside Beatrice, quickly pulling a small knife and slicing through the zip ties. Her hands dropped limply, trembling slightly.
"Can you move now?" he asked, checking her briefly for injuries.
She nodded. "Y-yeah. Thank you."
Without a word, Theo picked up Rolf's fallen pistol and handed it to her, grip-first. "Take this. Just in case."
Beatrice hesitated, but took it. Theo then handed her a phone. "Use this to call for help if anything goes wrong. Stay hidden. Don't come out until it's over."
