Valric recalled his sword. The threads gathered again, forming a hollow drill. He drove it into the darkness beneath his feet and sent it spinning at high speed, attempting to escape the same way he had broken through Ethan's Domain.
Time passed.
The drill continued downward, but there was still nothing beneath him except darkness. No cracks. No soil. Nothing to indicate how deep he had gone.
At last, Valric stopped.
A mirror appeared before him.
There was no light, yet his reflection was unnaturally clear. Valric raised his head and saw a body covered in tumors. Bloodred armor covered his skin, long since fused with his flesh. The mask clung tightly to his face, with no seam left to pry it off.
The tumors writhed, spewing threads.
Could the thing in the mirror still be called Valric?
Was this the transformation he had wanted?
What had he wanted in the first place?
Valric stared at his reflection, his grip slowly tightening around his sword.
