“You’re wasting your energy on unnecessary thoughts right now.” Teivel squeezed Darius’ shoulder, adding, “I should’ve died long ago. Yet, by some miracle, my consciousness remained in this book. Thus, our meeting is abnormal and should never have happened.”

Teivel no longer spoke. He lowered his hand, watched as the black gas vaporized, then looked ahead to where the old man in black robes ran.

With a level stare at Darius, he stated, “We have to hunt him down and kill him at once—because he’