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I couldn’t speak.

I couldn’t do a fucking thing.

I heard Kai doing the explaining for me, telling him about my Primal Celestial Resonance, how it had healed a Celestial infection, why we believed we could develop a failsafe to fightback against the Celestials and the duty they’d forced upon Ariana.

Cornelius fell silent as he absorbed it all.

But that silence felt like screams to me.

“This changes everything,” I heard him announce.

And then I looked to see him staring at me like I was the answer, the key, the savior to what was burdening us all, what was hurting Ariana.

And I’d wanted to be that for her.

I’d wanted to be that for them all.

But in this moment, I didn’t feel like any of that.

So far from a savior.

So far from being anything positive or good.

I’d just seen it.

Draco and Malrik had experimented on my bloodline.

Their darkness and depravity ran in my veins.

They’d mademein their image.

A demon.

A monster.

Death and carnage.

Intended as brutality.

As agony.

As vengeance.

Intended as devastation.

“Kai,” I only just managed to rasp. “I… I can’t. I need… to go… toshift.”

“V, take a moment. Breathe.” He held out his hand. “Connect with me.”

I clutched at my head, digging my nails into my scalp. “I can’t… Ican’t.”

“We need to go,” I heard him telling Cornelius.

An affirmative sound came from the almighty Immortal.

And then I was staggering out of the vault.

Movement behind me stalled my exit, though, and I spun, snarling in the next second as I saw Cornelius snatch Kai’s arm.