The monastery wind fell still.
Selena's breath hitched as she stared into the eyes of the monster they thought they'd banished. Lorenzo stood tall despite the gaping wound in his chest, his blood glowing like molten lava. Behind him, a swarm of hooded figures emerged from the mist—silent, soulless, and pulsing with Core corruption.
"Impossible," Dante growled, stepping protectively in front of Selena.
Lorenzo chuckled, the sound low and unhinged. "Did you really think a little trial would be enough to stop me? That altar was once mine too, brother. The Core doesn't punish its favorites—it rebirths them."
Selena took a step forward. "You're barely standing."
"And yet I'm here," he sneered, holding out his arms. "You might've sealed your bond, but you've also awakened the Covenant. Look behind me. Every one of them—chosen by the Core. Bound by blood. We are its army."
Dante's jaw clenched. "You're leading them to war."
"No," Lorenzo said with a twisted smile. "To judgment."
