The bronze coin pulsed with a rhythm that matched Clek's frantic heartbeat.
He stood in the heart chamber, the green glow of the true heart washing over him, its ancient light pushing back against the shadows. But the shadows were inside him now, a darkness that coiled around his soul like a serpent, whispering promises of power, of control, of victory.
The attack had been repelled. The Shadowed were destroyed. But the cost had been terrible. Clek had used the darkness inside him to win, and now that darkness was stronger, more insistent, pressing against his mind like a physical weight.
Aria's presence flickered in his mind, sharp with concern. "Clek. What's happening? I can feel the darkness growing."
"I know." His voice was flat, hollow. "The darkness is fighting me. It wants to tak
