Chapter 40: Bound by Power
No matter how much she had prayed, the next day came faster than the light.
Lirian's scream rang out through the chamber as a searing pulse of energy seethed through her body.
It wasn't fire, though it burned; it wasn't ice, though it froze her veins.
The magic being used against her was hers—pulled from the very core of her being and twisted into something cruel.
The masked man was standing before her, more than fascinated as he manipulated her mana with his gloved fingers.
The glowing runes on her chains pulsed in response, amplifying the sensations tormenting her.
"Fascinating," he murmured, stepping closer. "Your power resists even now, yet it obeys me when I call to it. Do you feel that, Lirian? That is the strength you're too afraid to wield."
Lirian gasped for breath, her chest rose and fell as she glared at him.
"You—you're a coward," she mumbled.
"Am I?"
