Jason was expelled from the realm without further ado.
One moment he was standing before the throne of bones, the ruler's golden eyes fixed on him with an expression that varied between warning and amusement.
The next, the ground beneath him dissolved, the crimson sky shattered like glass, and he was hurtling through a void of swirling colors and soundless chaos.
The sensation was disorienting, like being pulled apart and reassembled in the span of a single breath. He felt his body stretch and compress, his consciousness flickering between awareness and oblivion.
He landed hard on cobblestone.
The impact jarred his bones, but his body absorbed the force without complaint. He rose to his feet, brushing dust from his clothes, and looked around. The familiar weight of his power settled around him like a cloak, reassuring and absolute. He cracked his neck and surveyed his surroundings.
He was no longer on the island.
