Michael's consciousness withdrew from the darkness as his awareness rose toward the surface.
His eyes opened.
The crystal-veined ruin reappeared around him exactly as he had left it.
And then, in front of him, a body fell.
Michael moved instantly. He stepped forward and caught it before the momentum could carry it into a full collapse, his hand closing around the shoulder.
It was Veyrion's body.
Cold.
But not dead.
Michael's eyes narrowed slightly. The chest still rose and fell faintly. It was breathing, yet something was missing.
Michael extended his perception deeper, letting his senses brush against the interior. After a few seconds, he withdrew.
"It's an empty shell."
The soul that had once animated it had been completely devoured, leaving behind only flesh that continued its automatic functions like a machine that had lost its operator.
