When the ring was taken off, Dominic gasped, his eyes going wide in shock as he immediately began to revert to his true form. In seconds, his strong, confident posture crumpled further. His skin turned deathly pale, as if the color had rushed through his body just as swiftly as it drained from his complexion.
His vibrant hair turned a bleached silver. His eyes, previously normal, became molten crimson, streaking out from heavy lids.
He looked for all the world like an ancient corpse brought back to life. The muscles in his face slackened, and age lines so carefully hidden a moment ago by magic reappeared along his skin. The man known as Dominic had vanished; in his place was a frail, gray haired old man.
Instantly, he recoiled. When he realized what had happened, a low, pitiful whisper escaped his throat. Despite himself, he craned his neck upward, away from the bulbs above. Every faint light in the room seemed to hurt his vision.
