He'd managed to do this much, the Ranger summoned what remained of his strength and redoubled his effort. He remained locked in place, his body twitching and seizing and he fell to the floor as he wrestled for control. His entire being burst into flames as he writhed and screamed. Finally, exausted, the demon was consumed and contained by the spell. the Ranger collapsed to the ground, limp and senseless.<br/><br/>He remained this way for what felt like an eternity, lost in blackness that felt evil, corrupted, tainted, oppresive... He writhed and squirmed to no avail. All the while, he was aware of a dim presence near by. He could feel it moving nearer and nearer. The closer he felt, the more fear gripped at him. He fought to get away, but his efforts were in vain. After a long while, he finally lost the battle. The presence closed in around him, completely surrounding him. At first, he was certain he would die... then he felt a flood of power like he'd never known. It felt so real... so right. It belonged with him. He wondered how he'd ever lived without it. The power flooded through him, reviving, restoring, and replenishing his body. he woke from sleep, fully refreshed if a little confused, and looked around. The flames at the entrance to the cabin had long since dissipated, likely they had died the moment he'd fallen.<br/><br/>Then he remembered the boy... remembered strangling the life out of him. Terrified, he looked around, searching for him.