She marched back to the pedestal, her heartbeat quickening. "Here goes nothing," she muttered, reaching out.
The moment her fingers brushed the orb's surface, an intense pain shot through her body. She gasped, her knees buckling as the orb's golden light enveloped her.
Adeline crumpled to the ground, her body wracked with agony. The light seared through her, each pulse a tidal wave of pain. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Instead, fragments of voices echoed in her mind.
"I'll… Change…" One voice said, raw with determination. There was a kind of gentleness to her voice that Adeline felt like it soothed her thought she was experiencing blinding pain.
"My only friend… Die…" Another voice replied. Her voice was filled with grief and helplessness. She felt like this voice was... Holding back anger. She could not tell what was happening.