Chapter 43: The Oracle’s Bargain
The chamber beneath the Temple of Nhalaris was carved from black stone veined with glowing silver, its air thick with incense and thunderous silence. Eira’s boots echoed with each step she took, deeper into the holy sanctum, heart pounding like a trapped bird in her chest.
Behind her, the doors groaned shut—no guard accompanied her. Not even Mira had been allowed to follow. Only the Oracle, summoned by royal decree and divine urgency, awaited her.
She swallowed. Her hands trembled. The last time she stood before the Oracle, she’d been a terrified imposter. This time, she was something worse: the thief of a soul.
Light shimmered before her. Not candlelight, not magic she recognized, but something older—a presence that pressed against her skin like warm m
