A wave of energy rippled outward as more cracks spread on the surface of the egg, its shards falling to the cold floor below.
Maximilian's bare body was revealed from inside. Countless obsidian-like scales covered his arms, back and chest. One side of his neck was also covered in similar scales that reached up to his left jaw.
At his back, the black wings slowly stretched outward, the earlier holes in them now completely gone.
Even the scars he had suffered from Magnus's attacks had vanished, his skin carrying a faint ethereal glow.
His knees moved down from his face as his body slowly descended. Once his feet touched the ground, he grabbed his head with both hands and murmured, "Nymeria...Ume...I'm back."
