Xane watched all of this with wide eyes, unable to comprehend this madness.
Never in his dreams had he imagined the hole on Viyron was self-inflicted.
Hundreds of questions flooded his mind, and he tried to ask Zayn, "Hey, Zayn, are you here?"
Even after waiting, no reply came. He realized Zayn was not present in this memory.
Suppressing the hundreds of questions in his mind, he focused back on Viyron as the guy spat out the chunk of flesh he was chewing at the center of the circle.
Was this the cursed art that Zayn had mentioned? After spitting out the chunk, he saw Viyron getting up, which gave him a clear look at Viyron's face.
This guy looked unbothered by everything he had done.
Though in the next moment, he saw fear flash through Viyron's eyes. It happened when he looked at the massive hand in the center.
Even in this illusory form, Xane felt a bit of pressure from that thing. Though it was much weaker in this state.
He saw Viyron mumbling something, but he was not able to hear any sound.
Also, because of the distinct language, lip-reading was impossible.
This was the first thing he had noticed when he talked with that red-bearded old man. That guy's mouth had moved weirdly, but he could understand him. This must be some kind of language comprehension skill.
He saw Viyron shaking his hand and taking out a metallic card.
The moment he saw that card, he felt a sense of connection with it.
Upon closer look, he realized this card was different from the black Son of Chaos card he had seen on his chest.
This card was a pure silver card with a unique picture. He didn't have to think much as he saw Viyron walking toward the statue with the metal card in his hand.
As Viyron walked toward the statue, Xane noticed the shift in Viyron's expression from fear to determination.
One step at a time, Viyron continued walking toward the statue. He could feel something was about to happen.
The moment Viyron touched the statue, everything changed around them, and in the next instant, he found himself floating before a thick, black fog.
Both he and Viyron were inside this massive, barren plain, facing a wall of dark fog. This black for reminded him of the fog he had seen at the edges of the hall.
He could sense a tremendous pressure coming from the other side of the fog.
Something bizarre and massive was lurking in this fog, looking down at them. Even Viyron was shaking, but Xane saw him reaching toward the fog with the metal card in hand.
The moment the card touched the fog, a notification popped up in front of Viyron, and he could see it. It was something about forming a contract with Nythra.
Only then did he realize that the entity before him was the Holder of the Sky.
Viyron pressed 'yes,' and they were back in the hall, with Viyron standing next to the statue.
The next moment, he heard Viyron yelping in pain and then clenching his teeth hard, trying not to shout.
Xane saw veins popping all over Viyron's body.
It started with the hand touching the statue as if some kind of energy was moving from the statue into Viyron's body.
What was even more interesting was that the metal card in his other hand started shrinking in a dark light and blurred within the smoke that enveloped it.
Xane could see that the card was undergoing some kind of transformation.
At that moment, Viyron's mouth started moving at a faster pace, likely him chanting something, and then the red ritual circle made of blood lit up.
He could see the desperation on Viyron's face. It was as if whatever he was doing was too slow.
Within a few moments, a small space crack appeared above the ritual circle, and this made Viyron smile as he stopped chanting.
Xane saw in shock as a picture of a 21-year-old boy appeared within the space crack. Then, in the next instant, he saw Viyron's soul slipping into the crack.
This time, he did not get to go to the other side, but things related to their situation started to become clearer to him.
That 21-year-old boy was about the age of a college kid.
That was likely Zayn. So it was Viyron who summoned him... but why? While he was confused, he saw Viyron's soul rushing back into his body, along with another soul.
But what was shocking was that the moment this second soul entered the body, the color of the smoke around the card changed.
It was as if some kind of new change had started.
At this, he saw Viyron's face going pale, and then, in the next few moments, Viyron started screaming.
The world around him started flickering as if the vision was becoming unstable.
He saw Viyron desperately trying to pull his hand away from the statue, but no matter what he did, nothing seemed to work.
The flickering continued to intensify, making everything feel more and more unstable.
Then, he saw the second portal displaying another image.
He was only able to catch a glimpse before everything blacked out.
Even though he only caught a glimpse, he was sure that the second image was of himself. His original body.
He was back in the darkness when he heard a shout. [Xane…Xane… Xane…]
This broke the illusion as he found himself back in the room, standing before the mirror as if nothing had happened.
Xane stared at his reflection, his mind racing. What the hell was that? So Viyron summons us, but why? What was his purpose?
[Dude, what just happened?] Zayn's voice cut through his thoughts. [You just froze for like a minute.]
Xane rubbed his forehead and walked away from the mirror, still unsettled. "I… I saw something."
[Saw what?]
Xane sat down on the bed, exhaling sharply. "A vision. About what happened before we woke up in that hall."
Silence.