Maldred's eyes snapped open.
The forced slumber that had been pressing against his consciousness, dragging him toward darkness, was gone. The weight that had been crushing his mind had lifted. He could feel his strength slowly returning to his body—seeping back into his limbs, his core, his ancient bones.
His eyes flickered in the darkness of the room with a defying glare.
"The other lord... he stopped."
Maldred did not know why. He did not care why. The only thing that mattered was that he was no longer being forced to sleep. His power was returning alongside his hunger was returning with his overall control as well.
But this was bad news for Thalion.
The fragment of his son's consciousness, drifting in the void of his father's soul, felt the shift immediately. Maldred's defenses were hardening and awareness was sharpening. The cracks that Thalion had been hiding in were sealing themselves.
