"Why?" Julian asked, unable to stop himself. "Why test me at all if you were always going to let me pass?"
"BECAUSE I NEEDED TO SEE," Chronovax replied simply. "TO UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF BEING YOU ARE. WHETHER YOU WERE WORTHY OF THE MARKS YOU CARRY."
The dragon's form began to fade, merging back into the darkness of the void.
"YOU MAY GO, JULIAN, WHO DEFIED DEATH. YOUR PATH AWAITS."
Julian didn't need to be told twice. Ignoring the pain flowing through his body, he gathered his remaining energy and shot toward the hole in the void.
But just as he reached the threshold and was about to cross over, Chronovax's voice resonated one final time.
"REMEMBER, YOUNG GOD—YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING, ONE BY ONE. FATE ITSELF IS OPPOSED TO YOUR EXISTENCE. THE MORE YOU GRASP, THE MORE WILL BE TORN FROM YOUR HANDS. THIS IS THE PRICE OF DEFYING DEATH. THIS IS THE BURDEN OF BEING WHAT YOU ARE."
The words froze Julian, making him stop dead in his tracks.
