"Max," Mark said, his voice calm but chillingly sincere, "you truly are one of a kind."
That same smile remained on his face—measured, calculating.
"Infernal energy… it's not something just anyone can wield. It corrupts. Destroys. Eats away at the soul. But you…" His eyes glinted. "You can contain it. With no backlash. No side effects. That's what surprised me the most."
As he spoke, the massive sphere of red infernal energy hovering in the center of the ruined hall began to shift.
From its surface, a single tendril of infernal energy slithered outward—thin, alive, and pulsating like a living vein of fire. It snaked through the air, glowing with ominous red light, and moved slowly but purposefully toward Max.
Max's eyes widened.
"No…"
He immediately stepped back, retreating as far as he could, his instincts screaming at him. But before he could take more than a few steps, his entire body froze.
Yanked by something unseen.
