King Alaric weighed the purified gem between his fingers. Holding it now, he noticed that the strange attraction from before was gone. That subtle whisper in the back of his mind—the one he had assumed was his own sharp instinct aiding his speed of thought, which had gradually become his main reference when making decisions—had vanished.
While the entity was present, he had been blind to the manipulation; but now that the presence had been purged, the difference was terrifyingly stark. Rage burned in the sovereign's chest. He was being subtly controlled step by step, having fallen into the trap without ever suspecting a thing.
Suppressing the anger on his face, Alaric stared intently at Ethan.
"What am I supposed to do with this now?" the King asked.
"If you absorb the energy stored inside that sphere you will be able to ascend to the Middle Stage of the Spiritual Transcendence Realm," Ethan replied with composure. "How does that sound?"
