Panic gripped the old man.
His spiritual breath quickened, each step heavy with dread, as the Sea of Consciousness around him began to twist and darken.
The air thickened, turning blood red, like the very atmosphere was suffocating the old man.
He couldn't control the terror rising within him, nor could he quell the gnawing realization of the grave mistake he had made.
In the old man's haste, he failed to recognize the true nature of the demon he had underestimated.
He had thought of him as merely another adversary, but now, with clarity striking like a bolt of lightning, he understood the horrifying truth.
This wasn't just any demon—this was something far darker, far more ancient and powerful than the old man could have ever imagined.
The weight of his ignorance crushed him.
With every fleeting moment, the old man's mind raced, replaying the warnings he had ignored, the signs he had missed.
