Jason leaned against the cold stone wall of his cell, eyes half-closed. The mana-draining runes pulsed steadily, trying and failing to sap the Marrow's power from his veins. Hours had passed since the guards left. No summons for the full council. No questions. Just silence broken by the distant hum of the prison's life-force engine.
The heavy mana-bar door to his cell slid open with a resonant click. Jason opened his eyes. A crowd of prisoners filled the corridor beyond—two dozen of the worst the world had locked away. Hulking ogres with ritual scars, sleek serpentkin assassins, a towering cyclops missing one eye but radiating raw strength, and several dark mages whose fingers already sparked with suppressed spells now stirring back to life.
None of them charged. They stared at him.
Jason stood slowly, stretching his arms despite the cuffs. "Hm, wasn't I meant to be in solitary confinement?"
