I roared again, louder this time, and recklessly pulled in more and more Essence. The darkness pushed back, but I didn't care. I slammed my will harder and harder into the Essence swirling in the air, refusing to back down.
In my mind, I pictured it like a tug of war with a lion, both of us pulling, struggling to take control of the fire.
The sphere blazed, growing larger, hotter, wilder.
Flames danced along its surface, and I forced my will onto it again, compressing it, bending it, demanding it to obey.
The fire turned deeper, a dark crimson now. I could feel the heat licking against my skin. The air sizzled.
Then another beam tore through the dome, smashing into my shoulder. Pain ripped through me, and I winced but I held strong. At least, I thought I did.
That tiny drop in focus…
That brief flicker in my will…
It was all the darkness needed.
It came rushing in like a storm, snatching away the Essence in an instant.
The sphere froze, just for a second.
