Outside the cave abode, Grey sat down on a circular stone platform that rested perilously close to the edge of the mountain. Below him lay a sea of clouds, faintly illuminated by moonlight. The air was frigid, and as the mountain breeze swept past, it tugged at his robes, causing them to flutter noisily against his thin frame.
As the cold wind brushed over his body, layers of Grey's skin peeled away like dried flakes, drifting into the air before being carried off into the abyss below. Yet Grey's expression remained calm and composed. One medicinal pill after another disappeared into his mouth as though he were eating candy, his movements practiced and unhurried.
At the same time, the purple crystal embedded deep within his chest erupted with radiant violet light. If Grey could peer inside his own body at this moment, he would discover that his internal organs had been completely dyed purple, as if soaked in a strange, otherworldly essence.
