Just as I stepped forward, the small ember that had been flickering weakly in the dying man's hand let out a final, reluctant glow—
—and then faded.
A soft wisp of smoke curled into the air as the flame died completely, leaving the space bathed in suffocating darkness once more. It was a quiet, almost poetic end. The sign of his passing.
And with that, I was blind again.
I exhaled slowly through my nose, unfazed. My right hand rose, and I instinctively cupped it, pulling mana from within me and compressing it into my palm.
Crackling amethyst lightning surged forth, weaving around my fingers like dancing serpents. They pulsed rhythmically, humming with power, before stabilizing into a small orb of violet energy hovering just above my hand.
The sudden flash of light illuminated the hollow. The shadows flinched and fled. And finally—I could see again.
The first thing that caught my attention was the floor.
