"Oh, well, don't you have the strong willpower!" The lich's voice rang through Kai's skull like a hollow bell, each word dripping with mock amusement. Its skeletal jaw didn't move, but Kai could hear every syllable as if it were inside his head.
"You remind me of him a little. My master, I mean. That tenacity… that refusal to bend. He would have liked you."
The runes beneath the lich flared, and the throne room itself seemed to vibrate, the walls groaning as if the stones feared the power gathering in the air.
"Okay," the lich continued, its tone shifting to a slow, cold drawl, "that was just a warm-up."
The white void of the mental plane shattered around Kai like glass. He was suddenly slammed back into his body, the weight of flesh and bone returning all at once. He staggered forward, gasping, knees buckling.
