Above the skies of Dravos,
Only seconds had passed since Emery's three-pronged attack had shaken the heavens.
Then—
The defenders below saw Emery suddenly stagger in midair, both hands clutching his temples as dark purple smoke poured from his eyes, ears, and mouth like steam escaping a cracked furnace.
For one long, dreadful moment, he simply hung there, eyes squeezed shut, locked in a battle none of them could see.
No one knew what was happening.
No one dared interfere.
Then a psychic shockwave erupted from him.
The air rippled.
The dark smoke was shredded apart instantly, scattering into countless wisps before dissolving into the wind like fog beneath the morning sun.
Emery opened his eyes.
They were his own.
And across the battlefield, the corrupted reacted.
The thousands of yellow eyes scattered throughout the swarm did not go dark.
They went wild.
The hive mind had collapsed.
