The Sunless City did not just echo with the sound of battle; it shrieked with the mockery of a stolen life.
The Obsidian Guardian was a masterpiece of ancient, cruel geometry. As it lunged toward Kassian, its four massive arms carved through the air with the weight of falling mountains. But it was the sound coming from its featureless mask that truly tortured the Emperor of the West. Every time the giant moved, it emitted a distorted, booming version of Vera's laughter—the bright, mischievous sound he had fought so hard to hear during their long trek across the desert.
Kassian met the first blow with a roar of fire, his "Eternal Ember" surging to his fists. He caught the Guardian's obsidian fist in a spray of orange sparks. But as he pushed back, he felt the terrifying reality of the trade. His heat didn't repel the monster; the Guardian's golden core pulsed with a greedy, rhythmic light, literally drinking the fire from Kassian's skin.
