Pain seared through Kael's chest again. The gem glowed faintly, sitting right on top of his heart.
Elysia and the others wore shocked expressions.
The gem was no longer something he held.
It had become part of him.
The blue crystal was half embedded in the flesh of his chest, pulsing with content.
Its once smooth surface had warped, tendrils of blackened veins stretching outward, burrowing beneath his skin like roots digging into soil.
They pulsed, dark and swollen, in sync with his heartbeat. Each throb sent a fresh wave of agony tearing through his body, as if the gem itself was feeding on him.
His hands trembled as he reached for it, fingers hovering just above the surface.
The flesh around the crystal had darkened to an unnatural shade, bruised and inflamed.
The moment he tried to pry it loose, a searing heat shot through his chest, and he nearly collapsed. His vision blurred. His limbs turned weak
This wasn't a tool that he could use anymore. This was corruption.
