[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LRt9Ofi.png[/img]
[img]https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/a_ZXp74cmcnxAvQSBK0nee5IJqvtSKuclfYouJxS7HA/https/fontmeme.com/permalink/231126/fd923e18179d11fb770a1c53aea6dd00.png?format=webp[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] A few apparitions that thought they would misbehave [/right][right][b][code]Isle of Cracks[/code][/b][/right][hr]

Luca being soaked like Emily was entirely overshadowed by the way the argument heated up. Lila explained why she hit Emily, and Stormy wondered why she didn’t punch her again. And then the apparitions present started getting… Antsy. Right before his eyes, Stormy could see the mental battle that Luca was going through, only to lose and collapse to the floor. And of course, Lila’s was only stoking the flames while Babylon at least had the common sense to keep quiet. 

[color=00ff98]”Luca-“[/color] The Rot was taking over. It was eating its way out and taking him over like a parasite. Like watching a swarm of maggots burst from a corpse, Stormy felt a twist of fear inside himself. It would kill Luca is this didn’t wasn’t stopped [i]immediately.[/i] 

Stormy snapped his fingers, and lit himself up with the glow of his Phantombane aura. All of the Apparitions in the immediate vicinity would be affected- The Maiden, Babylon, but [i]especially[/i] the Rot. Under no circumstances was he going to watch them kill each other without intervening. And it was for that reason that he stepped up and stuck an arm out to [i]catch[/i] Luca before the Rot could grab someone. It was a conscious decision to make physical contact with him, pulling him away with just enough force that his frail body wouldn’t be able to anything about it. Even while his skin withered and peeled under the creature’s influence.

[color=00ff98]”Get back, all of you! [i]Now!”[/i][/color]

The Rot’s magic would be weakened, drained away the longer it was this close to Stormy. But even still, it was going to leave a mark on Stormy this soon after the spell was used.. Except Stormy didn’t care. Because in that moment, Stormy experiencing the barest fraction of what Luca had been through for so long was nothing. All that mattered was cutting this tantrum short, and knocking the wind out of the sails.

He held Luca close, and held a stare into those dead eyes. He would subject himself to this pain until Luca could pull himself together again, for as long as it took.

[color=00ff98]”I will drain every last scrap of your power until you are just a speck of dust in the wind, do you understand me? I’ll erase you from the earth before you can take him away- Before you get away with your [i]tantrum.”[/i][/color]

It was hard to ignore the conviction in his voice, rising up like a fire. The Rot could struggle for all he wanted, but Stormy would just bare it until Luca was stronger. 

In his arms, Luca was safe. In his presence, the Rot’s days were numbered.

[color=00ff98]”Give up, you damn monster.”[/color]