Kallamos Artoria

The hall fell into complete silence, with only the crackling of the fireplace in the background. Strax's heart plummeted into his throat, and for a brief moment, nothing happened. But then his body began to tremble, and an aura of power started radiating from him.

The dragon's power surged through Strax like a tidal wave, and he dropped to his knees, his eyes turning red as his veins ignited with energy. The process was visibly painful, and Strax grunted, but he held on, his sheer willpower evident.

"Ahhh... fuck..." he groaned, clutching his throat, which felt as though it was burning from the inside out. The pain was excruciating.

"Strax!" Beatrice shouted, moving to help him, but Evelyn grabbed her arm.

"Leave him," Evelyn said, her voice calm but authoritative. "He needs to go through this alone. That's the price."

And then...