The moment Caelum's fingers brushed the Heart, everything around him shattered. The light that had enveloped him turned to darkness, and the warmth of the Heart turned to ice.
Suddenly, Caelum was back in the land of shadows, standing in front of the cursed sword once again. The sword gleamed with an evil, taunting light, and Caelum could feel its power, its pull on his soul.
"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "I've come too far to turn back."
But the sword was already calling him, and its voice echoed in his mind. "You cannot escape me, Caelum. You are mine."
Caelum gritted his teeth. The darkness tried to swallow him whole, but he pushed back. He would not succumb to it. Not again.