Ren carefully laid Lin on the ground, ensuring her head was supported by a small elevation of soft earth he created with his elemental control. Her breathing was stable and deep, the kind of rest that came after complete exhaustion.
He collapsed heavily beside her, and it was then that he began to notice something alarming.
The black marks on his chest hadn't disappeared with the end of the battle. If anything, they seemed to be slowly expanding, like ink spilling on wet paper. The filaments branched beneath his skin, creating intricate patterns that radiated from his heart toward his arms and neck.
With each beat of his heart, he felt the power increase. It wasn't really unpleasant, not exactly. It was as if every cell in his body was being overcharged with pure energy. But along with the power came something more concerning: guilt intensified proportionally.
