Right in front of me, floating above another massive chain, was Ragnar.
He hovered there, his body wrapped in a thick haze of crimson mist. From his back stretched a thin chain-link, identical to the ones I'd seen before, anchoring him to the metal below like a puppet.
But it wasn't just the link. His eyes… they were gone. No irises, no life, only two red stones glowing where they used to be. He gripped his club like he didn't even recognize it, or me.
For a second, I couldn't move. That wasn't the Ragnar I knew. His eyes, once sharp, alive, and wild, were gone, replaced by dull red marbles.
He wasn't fighting anymore. He was being controlled.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My heart pounded as I reached out through the bond that had always linked me to my summons. The moment I did, something terrifying happened, my summoning chain appeared out of nowhere, stretching from my generating core straight toward Ragnar.
