Their breaths came in shallow, broken gasps. Their delicate hands trembled against the dirt. Tears beaded at the corners of their eyes from sheer psychological annihilation.
Vivienne's lips quivered. "M-Master, please give me a pardon!" Her voice cracked as she instinctively opened her mouth to beg. Anything for a pardon.
But before a single word could escape, *Smack.*
Amara's hand flew sideways, silencing her.
"Don't," Amara hissed under her breath, her entire body shuddering. "Don't beg. You know better."
And then *Slam!* Amara drove her forehead into the dirt again. Hard. Loud. A wordless declaration.
She chose submission. Not the wholly futile route of begging or negotiation. The creature before them didn't care one bit about their well-being and they had nothing more to offer him; he owned their entire existence. So she knew perfectly well that mercy was not coming their way.
