The air in the vault smelled like rotting meat and burnt sulfur.
I stared at the thing that used to be Fenris. He was twice his normal size now, his body a disgusting mix of matted fur and oily, black scales. The golden key was buried deep in his chest, glowing like a cursed coal. Every time it pulsed, Fenris grew larger, his muscles tearing through his skin only to be replaced by armor.
"Look at me, Elara!" Fenris roared. The sound was a jagged mess—half wolf’s howl, half dragon’s hiss. "I was always meant for greatness! You were just the ladder I had to climb!"
"You're a mistake, Fenris," I said, though my voice caught in my throat. I tried to summon my fire, but only a few purple sparks danced on my fingertips. The Eclipse above us was still sucking the life out of my magic. "You’re
