The moment my fingers touched the Veilbind Chain, reality stopped behaving correctly.
Light erupted through the chamber in violent waves, silver flooding across the ancient stone with enough intensity to erase shadow itself, while the chains surrounding the card exploded outward like living serpents awakened from centuries of sleep. They did not lash toward me aggressively, nor did they strike with physical force. Instead, they wrapped around my wrist with terrifying precision, cold metal coiling against my skin before sinking directly into it.
Not through flesh.
Deeper.
The sensation was indescribable.
It felt like the concept of restraint had embedded itself into my soul.
Pain followed immediately afterward.
Not sharp.
Not burning.
Absolute.
My knees nearly buckled as thousands of whispers crashed through my thoughts simultaneously, voices layered atop one another until they became incomprehensible noise carrying fragments of emotion rather than words.
Grief.
Rage.
