Swoosh. Zoom. Boom.
As the fiery blast engulfed him, Kev Larson's world turned into a swirling maelstrom of red and orange.
Despite the protection of his spiritual artifact, the pain was overwhelming, and his senses struggled to process the agony in real time. He wanted to scream, to release the torment tearing through him, but the pain receptors had overloaded, leaving him in stunned silence.
As the blast subsided, Kev found himself injured and vulnerable, an unimaginable state for the renowned Armored Knight. The spiritual artifact, a gift from the King of Edinburgh, had shielded him from pain for so long that he had almost forgotten what it felt like. Now, the stark reality of his vulnerability shocked and bewildered him.
