Clyde felt his body being torn apart again. Every one of his nerve shredded. Each bone shattered and rebuilt only to be broken again.
In his mind, the pain had become longer and deeper now. It was no longer a scream or a burst. It was a constant wave that drowned everything else and take him into the void.
He couldn't tell if he was breathing or if he was still whole. Only that he was still there and still enduring everything.
Through the haze of agony, the Ancient One's voice returned to talk to him.
"You can stop, if you wish. If this is beyond you, I will understand."
"No. I'm not giving up." Clyde's answer came without hesitation. His voice raw and cracking from everything he'd been through..
The Ancient One said nothing more. Only the pain remained. Until time blurred and his soul felt thinner than mist. And then, suddenly, the voice returned.
"Something is happening outside, Clyde"
