Heart of the Fray

Seth was already far ahead as he ran, but the furious sounds of battle still echoed in his ears.

Hearing those deafening roars, he had no choice but to pick up his pace.

But as he fled, he felt a heavy energy seep into his arm, quickly making its way to his essence stone.

The painful process caused him to stumble. He rolled onto the ground, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Holding his breath, he gripped his arm with his other hand, biting down on a piece of wood to stop himself from biting his tongue.

The energy flowed through his veins, tracing its way to the essence stone lodged near his heart. Once it reached its destination, the pain became unbearable.

It felt like a burning ball igniting in his chest. The intense heat caused the piece of wood to splinter under the pressure of his teeth.