Ethan's whole body went rigid.
He recognized that voice instantly.
Lily.
But this time…
it didn't sound like her.
It was colder.
Older.
And threaded through it was something that made Ethan's skin crawl—
hunger.
"The power on that little girl is extremely rare."
"Take it."
Ethan's heart slammed.
The danger he felt wasn't coming from outside.
It was coming from inside his own body.
"Now."
Lily's voice hit again—
an iron command that didn't allow refusal.
In that instant, Ethan's body didn't fully belong to him anymore.
His hands moved on their own.
They clamped down on the little girl's shoulders.
The next second—
the devouring began.
BOOM!!!
Purple-red Soulforce poured into him in a violent surge.
This wasn't a gentle merge.
It was a flood forcing its way in.
His meridians tore.
His bones shuddered.
His vision was swallowed by purple-red light.
"Stop…"
Ethan tried to seize control.
He couldn't.
