Ethan yanked open his system interface, eyes scanning the data streaming across the glowing panel.
Line after line flickered past—and with each one, his gut sank deeper.
The masked figure wasn't just powerful. He carried over a dozen distinct Bloodline Powers simultaneously.
No wonder his energy felt so warped—like the screams of different worlds all howling through the same throat.
As the system dug deeper, a projected image shimmered into view.
Beneath the mask was a face—inhuman, unnervingly beautiful, and wrong in every way. Embedded in the center of his forehead was a single, blood-red eye.
The system's final analysis appeared in bold:
Only half of his power is currently active.
The true source lies in the crimson eye.
If the mask is removed, his full strength will awaken.
Ethan's pulse spiked.
Which meant… what they were facing now wasn't even the real fight.
Just a half-formed version.
