The Deep Ones knelt in the snow for three days.
Not praying. Not waiting for a sign. Just kneeling—their silver skin exposed to the cold, their eyes fixed on the ground. Vex knelt at their head, her brown hands pressed to the frozen earth.
Elara watched from the wall.
"What are they doing?" Taylor asked.
"Penance. They fought against hope. Now they're begging for forgiveness."
"Do they deserve it?"
"I don't know. But they're asking."
---
James stood beside his daughter.
"The void?"
"Is quiet. It's watching. Learning."
"Learning what?"
"Whether to forgive."
James looked at the kneeling Deep Ones.
"They burned fields. Almost starved the town."
"I know."
"Your mother wants them executed."
"I know."
"What do you want?"
Elara was silent for a long moment.
"I want to understa
