"Emery! Is that truly you?" Julian's voice wavered with disbelief as he looked upon the man's altered form.
Emerging from the shadows with a graceful, almost fluid motion, Emery began to shift and reshape. As his familiar features took form, he strode confidently into the chamber. Pausing to take in the opulence of the room, his eyes finally settled on the balcony's view of Rome.
The city's sprawling expanse, glowing with countless lights, stretched out beneath them. He mused aloud, "It appears much has changed, You've been busy, Julian."
Julian struggled to find his voice. Though the man before him bore Emery's face, an unsettling aura surrounded him. A sensation Julian couldn't quite place. "How? When did you arrive?" Julian asked, trying to reconcile the Emery he once knew with the figure standing before him. "I can't feel your spiritual energy at all. Why?"
