His eyes glowing a bright violet, Akmenos smiled as the minds of dozens of guards bent to his will, making each of them scream in terror. Their eyes were wide with fear, a sight which filled the man's heart with joy. He took his time ending their lives, making sure the visions he was forcing into their heads had reached their climax before he forced them to slit their own throats.
Once the last of them had spent his last breath, he continued on his way. The altar before him was of a simple design; a basin held up by two statues depicting kneeling men. He reached into his pocket, bringing the small gem into the dim light of the cave.
He smiled again as he placed it in the basin. Almost immediately, it began to glow with power.
"Stop!" Akmenos' smile faded at the sound of the familiar voice, and he turned to find a Valkyrie standing before him, her sword drawn and her golden hair spilling down her back. "Akmenos, my beloved, please," she begged though he simply re summoned his power, making her begin to wail in fear.
He slowly made his way towards her and watched her fight his illusion desperately. Her mind was stronger than the guards that lay dead by his feet, so Akmenos drew his own weapon. "I am truly sorry Kara," he said before driving the blade into her stomach, "you could have ruled by my side, if only you could see."
Without sympathy or remorse, he pulled the dagger free and watched his wife fall to the ground before he returned to the altar. He called on his abilities, willing the stone to submit to him. In a brilliant flash of light, the gem came to life.
Its power filled the room, a brilliance he had never seen before. He could feel the power coursing through him as he controlled its magic, like strength building within him.
Suddenly, his screams filled the air as an incredible pain overtook him. He felt himself being ripped apart from the core. "You fool," a cold voice rang in his ear as the pain reached its precipice, making Akmenos fall to the ground. "Did you think you could defy me and there would not be punishment?" He strained to look up, seeing a figure cloaked in shadows standing between him and the altar, the gem held in one bony hand while the other held a transparent version of himself. His breath hitched and his heart began to beat faster and faster. His soul was in the hand of Death itself. "You don't even know what this stone does, do you?"
"It will make me the most powerful man the realms have ever known! I will be the God of Fear!" Akmenos struggled, determined to fulfill his plan.
Death merely laughed. "You do not deserve the title, nor will you be the one to command this stone." In one swift motion, Death closed a hand around his soul's neck, choking it as though it were a being with form. Pain threatened to destroy him as his soul flickered like a flame caught in a wind before it exploded in a bright light, leaving Akmenos gasping for breath.
"He's there!" a voice behind him sounded, though Akmenos was too weak to turn towards the source. Death smiled at him one last time before she disappeared, leaving the stone behind.