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Yes. Real flesh. Not a trick. Not another illusion. He felt the crunch of bone, tasted the blood, and sensed the wound in the soul.

Ettol struggled. Of course he did. Flailed at him. Cast out more illusions. Attempts to overload Koh’s senses. Attempts to pierce his mind’s newly reforged protective barrier.

All in vain. In a few more seconds, Ettol would be in his stomach. Torn from this realm once again. On his way back.

There was something, though. A pang of guilt. Pity. Not for Ettol, but for the flesh he inhabited. Having spent so much time with him, Koh knew of the particularly strange nature of Ettol’s current incarnation.

Of the poor boy named Jonah whose mind persisted alongside Ettol’s. A boy who had never agreed to incarnation. A boy who had always rebelled against it to no avail.

Even while consumed with the rage of the Hunt, there was still a place in Koh’s heart that wept for the boy. Might there yet be some way to rescue him from this madness? Was it not too late?

Folly. Of course it was. The Prime Hunt must continue. Collateral damage was nothing new. ‘Twas a tale as old as he. He was only feeling this way because he’d spent so much time with Jonah. Because he’d become so familiar with the boy’s struggle for existence.

Because on some level, it struck a deeply personal chord. Because he understood it just a bit too well.

Which was, no doubt, yet another of Ettol’s machinations. A subtle play, long in the making.

And damn him, Koh found himself hesitating. Just enough. A few more seconds. And then a few more still. Putting it off. Playing with his food. Ragdolling the flesh around in his mouth instead of simply chewing through and devouring it.

Someone had reacted. A powerful soul coming to Ettol’s defense. Koh sensed it. Knew the problem in advance. And he could have hurried himself along. Could’ve finished this already.

But he didn’t. He let the interloper reach him in time.

And when Gohvis’ hands found his bloody maw, Koh knew this was about to get much more complicated. He’d missed his chance to keep everything simple.

Because that was no mere projection of the Black Scourge. Koh could tell after having wrestled and brawled with the projection so many times in recent days.

Here and now, this was the real thing.