A blood-curdling scream tore through the healer's chamber as Liam's body arched violently on the table. His veins bulged beneath his skin, pulsating with a sickly black hue. His fingers clawed at the air, his breathing ragged and strained as if something was tearing him apart from the inside. Sweat poured down his face, soaking his clothes as his body convulsed.
"Hold him down!" the healer shouted.
Jason and Eleanor lunged forward, gripping his arms, while Sophia pressed down on his legs. But even in his weakened state, Liam's body jerked with unnatural strength, nearly throwing them off.
Sophia's voice was thick with panic. "What's happening to him? Why is he getting worse?"
The healer's face was grim as she traced a glowing rune over Liam's chest, her eyes narrowing. "The poison has spread deeper than I thought," she said, her tone urgent. "It's reached his bloodstream completely—his body is trying to fight it, but it's failing."
