And now, Theodore was different again from how he had been before his disappearance, beyond his greater strength and imposing presence.
He had once been cold, proud, and withdrawn. Now, there was something far more sinister about him.
Especially after the blood-soaked Red Snake dissipated, becoming a faint apparition with a serpent's head and ram's horns. It resembled the face of a demon from legend, hovering behind Theodore and lending an eerie quality to his chilling presence.
A flicker of emotion crossed Shawn's eyes. What exactly had happened to this subordinate, the first to become fanatically devoted to him, who held such special significance?
The two stared at each other in silence, locked in a stalemate amid the wreckage of the corridor.
Seeing that Theodore had no intention of explaining himself, Shawn could only break the silence with a puzzled question.
"Don't you have anything to explain to me? Or has Theodore already been corrupted into a follower of Herpo the Foul?"
Theodore's eyes twitched violently. The serpent-headed, ram-horned apparition behind him sank into his body, and crimson threads surfaced in the whites of his eyes.
He avoided the Chief's gaze, clenching his fists again and again. After the red threads faded, he wrestled with himself for a few seconds before speaking firmly.
"I am still the Theodore who is loyal only to the Chief. That will never change, even in death. Everything I'm doing now is also for you."
Shawn saw Theodore's struggle and felt deeply puzzled.
The last time Theodore had fallen unconscious, Shawn had used his power of faith to neutralize Herpo the Foul's dark faith within him.
Even if that had not cured him completely, his condition should never have worsened.
Kreacher had said that Theodore had been in good shape after waking up. His strength