I closed my eyes and retreated from the sensory chaos of the battlefield, leaving the external fight behind with only a flickering hope that it would conclude in our favour. The sounds of dragons and explosions faded, replaced instantly by the silent, raging conflict within my shadow.
The silver-white whirlpool I had birthed was now growing fiercer than it had been only moments ago. The rate at which it sucked away my spiritual energy was accelerating at a terrifying, exponential speed.
It was a gravitational glutton; I realised that if this trajectory continued, my entire stockpile of bones—no matter how rare or ancient—would be insufficient to satisfy the hunger of this silver-white hole.
Yet, I had no choice but to keep the engine running. I directed the torrent of energy toward my shadow without a moment's pause. After some time, the scenario I had most feared finally came to pass.
