---
He had learned how to fight above his "number," how to run, how to endure, how to bite when the only victory available was being too stubborn to die.
He swallowed slowly.
"If this is my old self… then what am I now."
The key stone pulsed.
Fzzz…
The hum in the air shifted. It was not a sound anymore. It became a pressure, like the world was squeezing his chest and then releasing it in controlled stages.
The restraint inside him resisted first.
Sekhmet felt it like a hand tightening around his core, refusing to let go.
Then the key stone answered.
A deep vibration rolled through his bones, and the restraint loosened again, like a knot finally admitting it had lost.
FZZZZZ…
Sekhmet's vision blurred.
His stomach clenched.
His muscles tensed so hard his fingers shook.
For one long heartbeat, he thought the "rebound effects" would be pain.
Then he realized it was not pain.
It was him.
