Michael and everyone else stared in shock as the old man swayed.
The elder gripped his staff tightly, but another wet, violent cough ripped from his throat. More black blood splattered across the mirrorlike sea.
Michael blinked.
That was not normal.
He had expected the Domain to crush them but he had never imagined the old man would suddenly weaken like this. His first thought was the natural backlash from forcing a Rank four Domain inside Hell's suppressive rules. But he quickly dismissed that.
No. It did not add up.
The old man was experienced. Someone who had lived long enough to reach Rank four would know exactly how far he could push himself. He had not entered this Domain blindly.
Something else was at work.
Another cough wracked the old man's body. This time he staggered two steps, the surface beneath him rippling outward in unstable waves. His aura flickered again, breaking like a cracked lantern struggling against the wind.
Michael's eyes narrowed.
