"And what will it cost me?" Max asked without beating around the bush.
He knew very well that with great power came a great responsibility[1], or at least some kind of annoying price waiting beneath the surface. Nothing in this world was given for free, and if it was, then the real cost was usually hidden somewhere so deep that only a fool would smile and accept it without question.
"You seem eager to pass this power, this throne, to somebody else," Max continued, his eyes locked onto John's. "What for? I crave power with all my heart. I am always searching for ways to make my magic stronger, to make myself stronger, but if that power shackles me, then I don't need it."
The way his determined eyes stared forward, the way his expression carried no greed blind enough to swallow anything placed before him, made John's smile soften slightly.
For a moment, John said nothing.
