"Where are we going?" I asked Arthur—my original self—as he controlled my body, taking us further from the devastation of Vryndall toward the northern wilderness.
"Somewhere important," he responded simply, his pace never slowing despite the harsh terrain.
"You have to give me something," I pressed. "Does this mean you can save me whenever I want? Just appear and take over when things get difficult?"
"Of course not," he said, a trace of annoyance in his voice. "My power is reaching its limits, but it is all going according to plan. Regardless, if you're in danger, even if I can help you, it means you will end up sacrificing potential future growth."
We continued in silence for several minutes, the landscape growing progressively bleaker as we traveled north. The temperature dropped noticeably, and vegetation became sparse, then nonexistent. Something about the air felt wrong—heavier, tainted.
