As the words escaped his lips, Steve felt it—a rush of energy surging through his limbs, an ancient power threading through every fiber of his being.
It pulsed in his veins like wildfire, and in that moment, everything seemed to slow.
The goblin's body tensed in his grasp. The strength in Steve's arms surged as if something else were guiding him, and he pulled—up, hard.
Steve's grip on its string tightened, and he channeled his energy with precision, locking the creature in place.
The goblin's eyes bulged wide, twitching as it attempted to resist. It flailed its arms, one stretching out in a final effort to defend itself.
But Steve held steady.
"Steady... steady." he muttered to himself through clenched teeth, the weight of the moment pressing on his shoulders.
The goblin grunted in frustration, its limbs thrashing, but its struggles waned. Steve's strength held it immobile, frozen in a suspended second.
And then it came.
