The dark liquid slithered and coiled like a living thing, writhing as it expanded across the wooden floor of the dimly lit inn. A thick, unnatural silence followed as if the very air had been stolen from the room. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, the black mass began to rise.
It twisted and stretched, shaping itself into the vague outline of a man. First, long limbs formed, shadowy and distorted, before they sharpened, solidifying into flesh. Fingers curled, elegant yet deadly, as the darkness sculpted itself into broad shoulders and a tall, imposing frame.
Scarlet eyes flared open, glowing like embers in the void.
The last remnants of the liquid dripped from his coat, melting into nothing as the transformation completed. Cassius stood there, his presence suffocating, the lingering traces of his power humming in the air.
