"Sigh… to think that…" Tyler pressed a hand to his forehead, his voice low and strained. His body trembled, the neon-blue digits faintly glowing on his brow.
Mana and the others rushed into the chamber, their eyes widening in horror.
"No…" Zuzia's voice broke into a desperate roar when she saw the number 500 etched across Tyler's forehead.
"Yeah…" Tyler forced a bitter smile, though his voice shook. "Looks like I got possessed. Mana, Mode: Phantom ." His attempt at humor only deepened the dread. He was trying—fighting—to keep his consciousness afloat.
Mana stepped forward, hands glowing faintly as she tried to enter Tyler's body, but the attempt was violently rejected. She staggered back, eyes wide.
"He's rejecting mana's essence from the inside… whoever's in there is forcing me out!"
"Do something, girls!" Tyler shouted, his voice breaking. He quickly crossed his legs, sitting in a lotus position, his body trembling violently.
