"No…" Vardy whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm not you. I won't become you."
The creature laughed again, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the entire forest. "Then prove it. Show me that you can stop me, that you can control this power inside you. Or I will take control, and you will be nothing more than a monster."
The world around Vardy seemed to close in, the mist pressing down on him like a weight. The trial was his to face. There was no escaping it now.
Meanwhile, Tracy's battle with the creatures continued. Their relentless attacks were starting to wear on her, but she refused to back down. She had no choice. They had to hold the line, for Vardy, for their mission.
Ferah and Selene weren't left out, they battled with different creatures, that weren't dying.
