The walls of the burial chamber cracked and crumbled, and the supporting pillars came crashing down as tremors shook the entire domain. Another minute tear in the fabric of space pulled Xander back into the arena, sealing the Domain of the Last Shadow.
Marvin breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Xander walk out of the crackling rift unharmed. By this time, the effects of the poison had subsided as well, and Xander no longer felt the pain of the light burning into his flesh.
But not everything about him remained unaltered. Marvin noticed the two blood-red streaks running down Xander's cheeks from the corner of his eyes and realized what had come to pass on the other side.
"You obtained a dark gift from the Altar of Forbidden Knowledge, isn't it?" Marvin asked.
Xander did not even try to deny it. Instead, he nodded with his head held high and replied, "I did. It was the only way to even the odds. And I don't think it proved to be a bad decision."
