The balance shifted instantly.
For the first time, the lich began reassessing the situation, not as predator and prey, but as something far more uncertain. Its instincts warned it not to provoke what it didn't fully understand.
Then Adam moved.
Without hesitation, he raised the egg slightly, his expression calm despite the tension in the air. The action alone caused the lich's focus to tighten, every ounce of its attention locked onto that single motion.
And then, Adam pierced his finger into the egg.
The moment it happened, the lich froze completely.
Shock hit first. Pure, unfiltered disbelief. The human had just acted directly on something even it had been cautious about approaching.
But what came next was worse.
The pressure changed.
It spiked.
The air grew heavier, denser, as something unseen surged outward from Adam's position. The shift was immediate and undeniable, forcing even the lich to react as its gaze sharpened further.
The boy's presence… had intensified.
