Kai's boots echoed faintly as he stepped forward, the mirrored floor giving a distorted reflection of his tense posture. Every breath felt heavier the closer he came, as though the air itself resisted him.
The presence seated on the blackened throne didn't move. Its hollow, pale eyes, if they were eyes at all, remained fixed on him, unblinking.
And then, without warning, Kai's body lurched upward.
Invisible force coiled around his limbs, hoisting him from the ground like a marionette. His arms locked to his sides. His legs hung limp. His stomach turned as he was pulled, slowly, almost ceremonially, toward the throne.
The lich extended one skeletal hand, and its touch, when it pressed coldly against Kai's temple, sent a shock straight through his skull.
