Lyrium's body swayed, his legs finally giving in.
The air still crackled faintly, traces of the entity's power fading like dying embers.
Darcyroix moved fast, catching him before he hit the ground.
The boy's body was hot to the touch, feverish from the mana backlash.
Darcyroix's gaze lingered on Lyrium's face, pale, sweat-drenched, yet eerily calm even in unconsciousness.
His own expression was unreadable.
"You've gone and overstepped again, haven't you?"
He murmured, his tone caught between irritation and fascination.
"Even on the verge of collapse… you still try to surpass the laws that define you."
He brushed a bit of dust from the boy's collar.
"Tell me, Lyrium Blackwood… what exactly are you becoming?"
Before the words could fade, a sudden boom split the air.
Water vapor swirled through the ruins, condensing with precision into a humanoid silhouette.