The corrupted aura pressed down on the gym like a storm. Matthew's Shinrei writhed, spiraling out of his body in jagged bursts of black and crimson. The mark on his arm pulsed like a beating heart, each throb spreading tendrils of corruption further across his veins.
Andromeda Ban straightened his back, his noble posture unshaken even as his instincts screamed at him to run. His boots clicked against the cracked tiles as he stepped forward, white gloves flexing.
The faint glow of his Echo sigil shimmered on his collar silver strokes in the shape of a blazing crest.
At his side, his bonded Echo Beast growled low.
Junjun, the lean dark-furred hound, bared sharp fangs that gleamed faintly in the gloom. His single crimson eye glimmered like a spark waiting for ignition.
Andromeda's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
"Matthew! Snap out of it! That thing is eating you alive—!"
But the boy before him was slipping away.
