"Let me try something," Max said aloud as he stepped toward the corrupted crown, his voice steady despite the storm of thoughts raging within him.
Before he could take another step, Freya's hand gripped his shoulder tightly, stopping him in place. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her eyes sharp as she glared at him.
Max turned to look at her, his expression serious yet strangely calm. "I do not know, honestly," he said truthfully. "But I have a feeling I can fix all of this."
"You think I will let you become corrupted like Mark just because of a feeling?" Freya shot back, her voice rising. The memory of Mark's fall was still fresh, still painful.
"You have to believe me," Max said quietly. "I can fix this. I can fix all of it."
"No," Freya replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I cannot let you risk being corrupted. That crown is evil, and it cannot be controlled by any being. It would be better to seal it away and leave it in Acaris forever."
