Under the force of that violet radiance, the ghostly green flames cloaking the three skeletal hands were snuffed out instantly.

Cracks spread across the bones—dense, jagged, and countless.

They released a silent, piercing screech before slowly retreating back into the Sea of Flame.

But Jared paid the price.

Blood seeped from all seven of his facial openings.

His meridians burned as if they were being fed into a furnace, the pain nearly knocking him unconscious.

The chaotic force was powerful—but the cost it demanded was just as terrifying.