Heart-wrenching sob of a man escaped from the Corrupted Abysmal Flame, and Haden slammed his shoulder into the flame monster, sending it hurtling away from Rion.
Rion stood frozen, broken words escaping his lips as the sensation of the trapped souls brushed his mind, "Ten... Thousand... Ten Thousand..."
Hearing the hollow cadence of his voice, Haden turned toward him. A troubled shadow crossed his face, and he called out, "...Rion?"
Rion did not respond, still immersed in the emotions bound within the Corrupted Abysmal Flame.
Haden's expression grew darker as dread seeped into him, his heart pounding harder. He seized Rion's shoulders and yelled, shaking him in a desperate attempt to pull him from his trance, "RION!"
Rion's lips parted, and he spoke without even a flicker of emotion, "I did it... I freed one of them..."
Haden froze, the light in his eyes fading, yet suddenly the spark buried deep within Rion flared brighter, and his mind began to clear.
