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This was dangerous.

Supremely so, Hector felt.

No. Actually, he didn’t feel that. In fact, that was the whole problem. He felt the power there in his hand. Felt the desire to hold it closer, to use it, to wield it wildly and experimentally. To begin limit-testing right away.

But he knew this feeling. He’d felt it once before. During his meditations.

When he’d gone so deep into his own mind that he felt like he’d touched the so-called Void.

This was like that. Almost exactly like it, actually.

Which was more than enough to give him pause.

Wow.

If he hadn’t had that experience already, then he might not have realized the danger here. His emotions, his feelings--they were telling him to push on. To grasp this power and do as he pleased.

It was only his rational mind that was keeping him in check.

His focus lingered on the ball of molten energy in the palm of his hand. Such a curious thing. Like it wanted him to use it. Like it was daring him to, even.

It made Hector wonder something. Had Abbas made contact with this, too? And had he, perhaps, been seduced by its energizing allure?

This had happened many times before. Countless times, in fact, across history. Brilliant minds creating or discovering something incredible, only for it to destroy them.

The memories from the Candle told him so.

Dammit. Perhaps he should’ve warned Abbas. Agh, but how could he have? It hadn’t seemed like his place to warn such an old and experienced servant about anything. Had Abbas truly never encountered this sort of thing before?

Impossible to tell now.

Worse still, Hector was realizing that Abbas’ current condition might actually be much worse than a mere week-long coma. If the man had not only touched this but actually embraced it fully and tried to wield it immediately like it was tempting Hector to do, then...

There was a chance that Abbas and Worwal would never wake up at all.

That realization made Hector bristle with irritation. His focus shifted again, bringing everything to bear upon the power in his hand.

Damn light. This was not going to happen. Hector was not going to allow it.

‘We are not going to let Abbas stay that way,’ thought Hector. ‘You understand me, you little ball of fury?’

He felt it shudder in his grasp. It was saying something. Protesting? Telling him to seize its power for himself. To forget Abbas.

That pissed Hector off immensely. ‘Out of the question,’ he thought, his voice booming with reverberation. ‘He created you, goddammit.’