The Watcher's words hung in the air, echoing in Luke's mind like the toll of a death bell. "The power is now yours... But at what cost?"
A creeping chill spread through his veins, and the room seemed to pulse in rhythm with his racing heartbeat. Every muscle in his body ached as if he had been stretched thin, barely holding himself together against the raw energy surging through him. It felt as if his own skin was too tight for the power that coursed underneath.
Ava crouched beside him, her fingers trembling as they hovered over his arm, afraid to touch him. "Luke, please, you need to stop. You need to fight this."
But her voice felt distant, like a whisper caught in a storm. The stone's influence was overpowering, its presence like an anchor in his mind, pulling him deeper into the darkness. His thoughts swirled, drowning in the promises it made—strength, control, knowledge of the unknown. All he had to do was surrender.
