Khan walked through the crowd, which parted instinctively at his presence. Every step he took radiated authority and strength, like a man no longer burdened by the doubts of his past.
A deep blue turban was wrapped perfectly around his head, and his battle cloak fluttered lightly in the wind. Around him, grains of sand began to lift into the air, swirling as if welcoming their true master.
Elite Janissary guard Hamzat didn't wait long. The moment they recognized his face, they charged, forming a human barricade of sharpened weapons in front of the execution stage.
But Khan didn't stop. He slowly raised one hand, his movement calm, as though signaling to the wind.
The previously drifting sand suddenly erupted in a sharp burst from underground. Like ocean waves, the sand surged forward, sweeping the guards aside without directly touching them.
