The air around him is heavy and glummy, much like threading through a swamp. But when she pushes through it, when her touch finally brushes on his shoulder, she'll find that it's like touching ice; her fingers turn numb and begin to sting from the cold, an icy pinch that bites hard.

But the sensation at her fingertips will be far eclipsed by the vicious crack Lu Meng throws at her face. It's a powerful blow, heavy enough to break stone itself, and it carries with it tremendous rage and loathing, triggered by a fear so deep that he himself cannot understand. But it can all be derived back to a single sentiment that managed to slips through a crack in the emotional fortress that erected in his mind, roaring and ringing in Sanae's mind through their amulets.

Touch him, and he will kill you.