The pressure in the passage tightened with every passing second, the clash of steel and force at the front growing louder as Vorde and Bartho continued to hold the line against a relentless surge that showed no signs of slowing, and behind them the situation had reached a breaking point where effort alone would no longer be enough to force a solution.
Lucas steadied himself.
Panic would waste time.
Precision would not.
He placed one hand firmly against the emperor's chest and the other at the side of his neck, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he shifted his focus inward, drawing on the refined control he had built over time rather than raw power, because this was not a situation that required force, it required balance, and slowly, carefully, he began to guide a controlled stream of energy into the emperor's system.
Not overwhelming.
Not invasive.
But stimulating.
