Atlas's chest heaved, the cage rattling with each tremor of grief and rage.
The black halo above his head pulsed in sync with his heartbeat, like a cruel drum marking every second of agony.
Ash still lingered in his lungs, the memory of Aurora's fire burned into his mind. He turned his head, glaring at the shadows coalescing in the corners of the cage.
'Wh…what happened?' he demanded, voice raw and shaking. 'Why did I…why did she die and then I wake here? What is this madness?'
The Guide's presence swirled around him, invisible yet insistent, like smoke that clings to bone.
Its voice was a low hum, rising slowly into clarity. {{{{{{You have seen what few ever will, Atlas. You have been gifted the Beholder's Sight....}}}}}}"
Atlas laughed bitterly, shaking his head. 'Beholder's Sight? That…that doesn't make sense! I died! I watched her burn! I—' His voice cracked as his fists slammed against the iron bars. 'I watched her die! How can that be a gift?'
