Ethan didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the Black Rose with one hand—and slammed it straight into his chest.
Agony ripped through him instantly.
That infernal energy was still as violent and hostile as ever—every fiber of it rejecting his presence. His body convulsed during the first few seconds, almost seizing up completely.
But as the torment dragged on—
He adjusted.
He learned.
He started filtering the chaos, drawing out threads of power that truly resonated with him—energy he could claim as his own.
Idra and Auri were shifting too—their auras moving in sync with his. Both of them absorbing, evolving alongside him.
And soon—
Ethan's presence climbed.
Not incrementally.
Skyrocketed.
His aura burst outward like a storm detonating in all directions. The entire sky trembled beneath the weight of it.
For the first time, Lily's expression changed.
Surprise—clear and sharp—broke across her face.
Because she could see it:
Ethan wasn't just surviving the Infernal Essence.
