Dylan stared at the gem.
It was still pulsing in his palm—warm, almost alive. Like a heart torn out but still beating.
There was nothing left to say. No more hesitation.
So he closed his eyes.
And took a deep breath.
He curled his fingers around the crystal, tightening his grip, and began to pull on the thread of essence. It was an inward act, instinctive as always—like opening a door he hadn't known he'd built. He reached inward, toward the core beneath his chest where his spiritual breath was centered, and the connection snapped into place…
Heat surged up his arm like a flood. His body tensed, an electric arc vibrating through his muscles. The gem cracked in his palm—not physically, but in essence. He felt the first wave enter.
It was… dense. Alien. Different from any gem he'd absorbed before.
It felt like swallowing a tornado. Like drinking living fire. Every vein in his arm flared. His spine arched under the impact. His teeth clenched. Cold sweat broke over his skin.
