It felt like I was just a thought floating in a place that wasn't made for the living.
Even the idea of time felt wrong.
It didn't pass slowly or quickly. It simply wasn't there.
Maybe minutes were passing.
Maybe it had been less than a second.
But I forced myself to stay calm.
'One.'
I started counting in my head. It was the only thing I could do to keep my mind steady.
'Two.'
Thoughts moved fast, faster than I could track.
'Three.'
Valen had stayed standing. He hadn't kneeled when I shouted.
I didn't think he was reckless to not heed my warning.
Someone reckless would never reach Rank 5.
He couldn't kneel, because he had been cursed.
'Four.'
Inside this domain, one person would always get hit by a corruption effect.
The effect was called the Rigid Curse. Once you were hit by it, you couldn't kneel even if you wanted to.
It only lasted for a short while, but the timing of its occurrence made it dangerous.
'Five.'
Valen must have been corrupted by the Rigid Curse.
