The Well's energy crossed the cup in the opposite direction.
Kael expected resistance, but the first impact was completely different. There was not a single source of mana on the other side. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of fragments mixed together, pressed against one another inside the structure. Memories, instincts, voices, remnants of personality, and ancient commands entered through his marked arm at the same time, striking his mind with enough force to make him lose his balance.
He saw a woman running through a forest he had never known. He felt the fear of a man trapped inside a mine. He heard a child calling for her mother. Immediately afterward, an order cut through all of it like a red blade.
Obey.
