Aksai could barely process Kanis's ultimatum.
The pain inflicted by Rumaal's torture, the exhaustion that had been accumulating throughout the battle, and the side effects of repeatedly overdrawing his strength all came crashing down on him at once.
The revocation of his Lordship also didn't help.
His body had already reached its limits. Every breath felt like dragging broken glass through his lungs, while even the slightest movement sent waves of agony through his battered flesh.
The situation wasn't much better for his Aether Clone.
Since the clone was essentially an extension of his own existence, the pain it experienced also travelled through their connection and affected Aksai. With Anaah continuing to torture the clone, he was effectively enduring two separate sources of suffering at the same time.
Aksai struggled to keep his consciousness from slipping away.
He glanced at his clone, who was barely holding himself together, and initiated a mental conversation.
