Vencian's senses dulled. Every emotion that once belonged to the sacrificed flooded through him. The fear, the pain, the final moments of countless voices tore at his mind. On his knees, he pressed his palms against his ears, trying to silence the cries. The sound only grew clearer, rising inside his skull.
He shouted to drown them out, but his own voice vanished under the screaming. His throat burned. He screamed again until his lungs ached.
"Stop it! Stop it!" he cried. His body trembled, sweat rolling down his face. "Why are you showing me all these? Why are you making me feel this?"
Have I not suffered enough? His thought came weak, nearly broken.
"What do you want from me?"
The voices quieted for a breath. Then another sound emerged, low and distant, as if the air itself spoke.
"The wound that sings in you…."
