Mana exploded outward in a shockwave, blasting dust and shards of stone across the vault. Selindra shielded herself with a barrier glyph, teeth gritted. Varik stood firm, coat whipping in the gale.
Lucen dropped to his knees, fingers clawing the floor. His thoughts blurred, half his mind drowning in static. Images flickered, cities collapsing, shadows tearing across skies, screams swallowed by endless dark.
But under it all… a voice.
Not words. A resonance. Like the relic itself was whispering, testing the edges of his mind.
He spat blood, grinning through it. "If you're… trying to scare me—" another cough wracked him, "—you're gonna have to do better than free horror movies."
The system stuttered, then shifted.
[Relic Integration: 52%.]
[Sync Stabilizing.]
The veins dimmed slightly, their pulse settling.
Selindra lowered her barrier, eyes wide. "He's… adapting."
Varik's answer was simple. Certain. "He always does."
