The creature that was once Lord Alaric was a monument to his own hubris. A Monstrous caricature of power. A man who had been given a sliver of the abyss's strength. And whose mortal mind had shattered.
He called himself "faithful." A "rewarded" servant of the Core. But the agony in his shrieking voice told a different story. Not a gift. A curse. A monstrous cancer of power. And he was its first and final victim.
Edward and Fenris stood before him. The shimmering outline of the real world was tantalizingly close. They were a study in contrasts. Fenris, the "beast-girl," was a picture of savage, controlled fury.
Her knuckles cracked. She settled into a low, brawling stance. Edward, the "monster," was a pillar of cold, calculating calm. His eyes narrowed. He assessed this new, Monstrous foe.
