Smoke rose from his body, a silent testament to the last remnants of the raw, incredible energy. "So…" He whispered hoarsely, his voice raw, a barely audible rasp.
"…you're watching. Good. You wouldn't want to miss the main act." A strange glint appeared in his eyes, a spark of defiance that refused to be extinguished.
Another bolt answered him, down came the eleventh, the twelfth and the thirteenth, a fresh barrage that hammered his already ravaged body. Time lost all meaning within the trial. Minutes…Hours, perhaps neither existed within this sacred realm. There was only thunder, pain, lightning. And the stubborn boy who refused to kneel and give up.
By the twentieth thunderbolt…his knees finally buckled, the strength completely sapped from his legs. He collapsed onto both hands with a loud groan, the sound ripped from his chest.
