Al's scream echoed out, shaking the air around the small settlement.
His small body trembled violently, both hands instinctively clawing at his own face as if trying to rip something invisible off.
"ARGGHHH—!!!"
Nuzakha stood firm, his posture unshaken as he pressed something against Al's face.
"Don't move!" he barked—sharp and commanding, completely different from his usual laid-back, charismatic tone.
With one hand, he held Al in place, pressing down on the back of his head.
A strange energy pulsed from Al's body—wild, unstable.
"Just let it… let it merge…" Nuzakha muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
Al gritted his teeth.
The pain wasn't just physical—it felt like something was tearing into him, planting itself, fusing with his very existence.
And yet…
He didn't resist.
Not because he couldn't—but because… his instincts told him to stay still.
A few seconds felt like hours.
And then—
Silence.
Everything stopped.
