Aksai's eyes shifted slightly, glancing at Arkaal, who was already preparing to place the curse.
Then he looked inward again.
Seralyth's thought echoed faintly in his memory.
"…a blessing…"
Aksai slowly exhaled. The tension in his body eased. The Spirit energy he had gathered dispersed quietly, returning to its normal flow.
'Fine,' he thought. 'I'll trust you.'
From the outside, nothing seemed to have changed. He still looked like a restrained Expert, unable to resist. But inside, his decision had completely shifted. Instead of running, He chose to stay still and accept what was coming.
Arkaal did not wait any longer.
He raised his hand, and the blood mist behind him gathered once again. This time, it formed faster and more tightly, shaping itself into the three-headed serpent. The creature hissed softly as it took form, its three heads turning toward Aksai at the same time.
