Chapter 32 · The Symbiosis Pact

"Take your hand off my throat, Kane." His fingers tightened instead.

My back hit the black stone behind me. The core pulsed through it, hot and steady, while Kane kept me pinned with one arm and held his blade against the soft gap beneath my jaw.

His blood had soaked through his shirt. Mine had dried in three different colors across my hands. Neither of us looked great. He still had the knife, though, so I was the one losing this argument.

"You opened the core," he said.

"I touched it. Big difference."

"The entire dungeon screamed."

"Maybe it has sensitive feelings."

The blade pressed harder.

I stopped smiling.

Kane leaned close enough that his breath brushed my cheek. He smelled like iron, smoke, and the sharp green bite of healing moss. His eyes stayed on mine, pale and furious.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing you didn't see."

"I saw you put your hand on the core. I saw the system light up. I saw every exit seal shut." His thumb shifted against my throat. "Then I saw your level jump without a kill. So try again.