I forced myself to watch as my bones mended and my bruised and torn skin returned to normal. I’d only taken a health potion on one occasion, when I was twelve years old and a drunk driver had run me over while I was riding my bike. My uncle and aunt spent most of their savings to have a private apothecary use a health potion to save my life. That particular potion had been delivered intravenously over the course of weeks, and I’d still not been completely healed; the scars were with me to this day.

This potion I’d just consumed was far more effective than the one the apothecary had administered all those years ago. I could only imagine the price it would fetch. It almost felt wasteful.

Looking down, I saw that the healing process was almost complete. The pain was lessening to a dull ache, and I found that I was able to stand again. I got up and carefully flexed my newly-healed leg.

The laughter-like rumble I’d heard earlier returned, only louder this time.

I looked around and saw with a shock that the lava, which had previously been a yard below the bridge, was quickly rising. Bubbles rose to the surface and burst, sending plumes of molten rock up into the air. The lava was covering the lower half of the bridge now, and was rising.

It seemed Kyrine wasn’t done with her testing yet—she had just wanted to lure me into a false sense of security.

I lurched toward the floating gemstone as the lava rose, but with a sudden rush of horror, I saw that the plinth and the stone were moving away from me, across the obsidian floor of the suspended platform. With a great heave, the lava boiled up until it lapped the edges of the platform.

The crystalline core was only a few yards away, spinning mockingly just out of reach. I tried to leap for it, but with every movement I made, it became more and more difficult to get closer.

My feet dragged along the ground as though I were wading through muddy swamp water. The lava crept toward me, lapping over the edges of the platform like the tides of the ocean.

The heat was almost unbearable.

With one last massive effort, I held my hands forward and pushed, the sheer strain causing my muscles to cramp. I clenched my teeth and let out a roar as I threw all my weight into a final push.

My hands reached out, and at last my fingers brushed the facets of the pure white gemstone.

A surge of electricity raced from my fingertips, up my arm, and into my chest.

I inhaled, and my lungs felt like they were inflated so much that they would explode.

Something pierced my mind like the world’s biggest hypodermic needle straight to my prefrontal cortex. My mouth opened wide to scream but no sound came out.