Out from the center of the halved tree stepped a man in a simple black suit, crisp white shirt, and tie. Long, silky white curls flowed down his shoulders. Hollow pits in his cheeks sharpened every bone in his face. So did the inch long thorns that jutted out from every inch of skin. A white, milky substance dripped from where they stabbed into him. His eyes matched the color of this strange liquid, empty of everything except power.

Tram immediately covered his head with his ...