Chapter 6 · Cracks in the Mind

"Stop digging, Ella. You're going to wake him up."

Silas’s voice didn't come from his mouth—because he was out cold in the real world—but it echoed through the gray void of his subconscious like a landslide. He wasn't fully awake, but he was there, a looming shadow at the edge of his own mind, watching me like a hawk.

I ignored him. I was too busy trying to rip a chunk of mana out of his core. It felt like trying to pull a stubborn tooth with a piece of string. Every time I tugged, the system pinged in my vision: [Mana Theft: 12%... 14%... Warning: Host Vitality Dropping].

"I'm not digging," I snapped back, my voice echoing in the void. "I'm surviving. There's a difference."

"Surviving?" The shadow of Silas shifted, a low, dangerous rumble. "You're a parasite. You're eating me from the inside out. Tell me, does it taste like guilt?"

"Tastes like victory," I lied.

I lunged forward, grabbing a shimmering thread of gold mana. The moment my fingers closed around it, the world shifted. The gray void vanished, replaced by a sudden, violent flash of color.

I wasn't in the void anymore.