Orion clutched the purple core, feeling corrupt power pulsing against his palm with a rhythm that felt wrong, unnatural, like a heartbeat from something that shouldn't be alive.
Sirius had earned this through his actions…
By leaving him here unconscious and vulnerable. By stealing Lyzea's crystallized heart that should have remained in Orion's possession. By always, always acting as if he were better, more moral, more deserving of respect and authority.
By making Orion feel inadequate through his simple existence, through achieving Gold 2 easily when Orion had struggled to reach Gold 1, through being the golden child their father had favored while Orion had been the disappointing spare.
All the resentment from years of living in Sirius's shadow crystallized in this moment, all the jealousy, inadequacy and suppressed rage finding focus in a corrupt sphere that promised revenge if he was willing to pay its price.
He knew what activating it would mean…
