[Joshua's head snaps up at the touch on his shoulder, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and desperation. His body trembles with the effort of resisting the encroaching darkness, his breaths shallow and ragged between strained grunts. Black flames dance ominously around his hands, eerily unfamiliar in color and presence. There’s no life, there’s no promise of renewing that which they may destroy, there’s only the threat of annihilation. As if spurred by that cold fire, the pain in his chest continues its relentless onslaught, each pulse of darkness threatening to overwhelm him completely.]
I'm… trying…
[Joshua’s words barely make it over the rasp of his voice, warped and nearly unrecognizable.]
[He struggles to maintain his focus, to cling to the flickering light of resolve amidst the engulfing pitch. His mind is a battleground, torn between the seductive whispers of the noctaere and the faint, but still resounding, echo of his own will. He’s a stubborn man, one who clings to hope in the darkest hours. He just has to remember that.]
[He has to remember who he is. What he fights for.]
[The crackle of the flames intensifies, but they don’t climb up his arms any further, caught in an impasse.]
It's... it's trying... to take me... to make me...
no subject
I'm… trying…
[Joshua’s words barely make it over the rasp of his voice, warped and nearly unrecognizable.]
[He struggles to maintain his focus, to cling to the flickering light of resolve amidst the engulfing pitch. His mind is a battleground, torn between the seductive whispers of the noctaere and the faint, but still resounding, echo of his own will. He’s a stubborn man, one who clings to hope in the darkest hours. He just has to remember that.]
[He has to remember who he is. What he fights for.]
[The crackle of the flames intensifies, but they don’t climb up his arms any further, caught in an impasse.]
It's... it's trying... to take me... to make me...