The air was still crackling from the battle when it happened.
A sudden pulse—deep in my chest.
I staggered, nearly falling to one knee as a wave of heat surged through my core. My breath caught, and a searing pressure began building just beneath my sternum. It was like someone had lit a forge inside me and was hammering it from within.
Fafnir was immediately at my side. "Craig?"
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
My vision blurred, a high-pitched ringing flooding my ears as the ground tilted. The pain intensified—like the threads of my very soul were being pulled taut, stretched beyond their limit.
And then—BOOM.
A shockwave of raw aura burst outward from my body, rippling the stone around us and sending dust and broken gravel flying. The others stumbled back, shielding their eyes. Even the cloaked leader had to brace against the force.
