The eyes around Max began to spin rapidly the moment the mysterious voice announced that he would be granted a new power.
His whole body tensed at once, every muscle locking as if something invisible had wrapped around him from the inside and tightened around his bones. Even the smallest twitch sent waves of unimaginable pain through him, forcing Max to endure something that tested his body, his mind, and the stubborn will to live that refused to die.
He wanted to scream, but nothing came out of his lungs. Even breathing hurt so much that he would rather have held it in until his chest burst, yet the black mist kept forcing air through him in shallow, broken pulls, making him feel every second of it.
