Wolf-fat candles contorted serpentine flames as Alyssa's nails dug into her sleeve's bone-thread embroidery. The banquet hall's silver candelabrums—crafted from elder vertebrae—dripped wax oozing golden-red marrow, mirroring the dissolving bone shards in Kane's viper wine goblet.
"Grey rats at high table?" The priest's silver stylus scraped her healing silver veins, "Drink this molting brew or crawl back to sewers."
Viper wine scorched seven bloody trails down her throat. Spotting the escape sigil on a servant's tray, she stumbled toward Kane's throne. Spilled liquor deliberately cascaded over her left arm, corrosive venom masking blood sigils merging with seared flesh.
"Cripples make fine vessels." Kane gripped her blistered wrist, squeezing azure-black ooze. He ripped her collar, exposing the pulsating "73" brand, "Crone's ashes fatten you well?"
Ravens smashed through stained glass above. Alyssa seized a shard, its reflection revealing elders' bone amulets resonating with tunnel confinement runes 6. Her veins flared, forcing her to vomit—toxic blood coagulating into counterclockwise ouroboros.
"Begin molting!" Skin drums throbbed. Thrust onto the bone altar, Wolf Mother's rib shackles clamped her limbs. Kane's venom dagger split her rotting skin, revealing azure tendrils weaving tunnel maps across the altar.
"Two-way sacrifice?" She shattered her right shackle, rib shards impaling the priest's eye. Moonlight pierced broken glass, levitating bone amulets into Wolf Mother's spectral skeleton. Her blood sigil detonated wine vats, imprinting tunnel patterns onto the priest's neck.
Kane's laughter echoed through gore mist. His "Mad King" sigil devoured the specter's marrow, each gulp dimming Alyssa's "73" brand. When the vision dissipated, her left arm revealed inverse wolf sigils consuming silver veins.
"Vessel modification 37% complete." He tossed her a half-bitten emblem, "Use stronger poison next time."
Wolf Mother's spine shattered below. Crushing the priest's amulet en route out, Alyssa saw young Kane in the powder vision—wearing an elder's fang necklace identical to tonight's banquet attendees.