Chapter 273 The Gift

The world had stopped, but Tyler could still move. His heart pounded in the unnatural silence. Victor stood before him with a faint smirk playing on his lips. "What the hell did you do?" Tyler demanded. He glanced around, confirming what he already suspected: time itself had bent to Victor's will. "Did you... stop time?" Victor chuckled and crossed his arms casually, as if they were discussing the weather over tea. "Not quite, Salvatore, or whatever your real name is. Stopping time? That is close to impossible. What I've done is freeze the world around us. That's a subtle difference, but an important one." Tyler narrowed his eyes and found he could move. He circled Victor warily. "Explain. How is it different? And why?" The prince tilted his head in mild amusement, as if indulging a curious child. "Freezing the world creates a veil between us and them. Time still flows, but only for those I choose. The rest are paused, unaware, unharmed." "No memories of this moment will remain for the