"Vardy, look at me." Selene called, her gaze still locked to him.
Her voice was steady, cutting through the storm raging in his mind.
But the moment her fingers brushed against his skin, a violent force exploded from the pot, and Selene was thrown backward.
Her body slammed against the stone wall with a sickening crack before she collapsed to the ground.
"Selene!"
Vardy's world snapped.
The whispers howled, furious at the interruption.
Vardy's vision turned red.
The room darkened. The relics around him pulsed, the walls vibrating with a hidden force.
Vardy turned his gaze back to the pot of Calabash.
The source.
The whispers sensed his intent.
"NO!"
A surge of black energy shot toward him, trying to stop him.
But Vardy was faster.
With a roar, he lunged forward, raising his sword. With all his strength, he smashed it into the pot.
CRACK!
The artifact shattered.
