"People say that eyes are doorways to the soul," Ahrimon said, after a long silence.
His voice filled the space without effort, carrying the weight of something that had been speaking from a position of absolute authority for long enough that the authority had become indistinguishable from the sound itself. The arena heard it and became more still.
"Yours have changed." He studied Alex across the distance between them with focused attention. "I can hardly recognize you."
He let that sit for a moment before continuing.
"The last time we met, you were a child. Confused and afraid." His tone did not carry cruelty in the observation, only the flat acknowledgment of something recalled with accuracy. "And look at you now. So brave. So fearless."
His alabaster skin shifted as the smile spread wider across his face, the expression moving through something that was almost warmth before it arrived at something else entirely. "And most of all...Mad"
