Right before their eyes, the five men began to age. Their life force is being sucked by the snakes, and being drawn to Nathaniel's body.
The half-demon inhaled their lifespan. As they grew older with each passing moment, his youth and eternal beauty beamed at its peak.
He was becoming stronger and more powerful. Becoming more immortal with the passing of time. "Feel free to tremble," he spoke out. "Hahaha...hahaha...hahaha," he let out a sinister laugh in the room.
They had thought that the darkling was the monster they needed to protect themselves against. But they were wrong. The step they took to ensure the darkling never harms them created a more deadly for that came back to destroy them.
A harmless demon, that is what they were told when they inquired about the darkling-destined temptation. However, they wondered if the person who dared to call Nathaniel harmless was right in the head.