Caine's eyes snapped open, sharp as a blade.
A flicker of something ancient and elusive stirred deep within his mind, like the fluttering of wings against a locked door. His gifts surged to life, working relentlessly to grasp that fleeting insight.
It felt tantalizingly close yet maddeningly distant.
'D…d…' His gaze narrowed, a frown etching itself onto his face. It felt as though an unseen force was deliberately shrouding his thoughts, blocking his path to complete enlightenment.
BANG!
A shockwave of chaotic qi exploded around him as he completed the final fold of his refinements. His body thrummed with terrifying power, the atmospheric qi warping and contorting under his sheer presence. The sky above darkened, clouds roiling and crackling with suppressed fury, while the earth trembled beneath his feet as if afraid of what he had become.
