"I need to do it now… before anyone can stop me," he whispered.
He shut everything out. He reached inward, past flesh, past blood, diving into something deeper.
Hsssshhhhh
A sharp hiss filled the air, like steam venting from a furnace.
And then it began.
A glow surged out from Razeal's body deep, royal purple, dark and eerie, pulsing with a rhythm that was not natural. The air around him warped as the glow flared brighter, until it seemed like his very skin was burning, not with fire, but with a flame of something rawer.
It crawled up his arms, across his chest, until it seemed as if his body itself was lit from within.
His veins bulged, hardening beneath his flesh. They twisted, writhed, moved, until they no longer looked like veins at all but living serpents of molten metal slithering under his skin.
The sight was horrifying.
Nova felt it instantly. Her head snapped around, eyes locking on him. The moment her gaze registered what he was doing, her composure broke.
