Silence crushed the Veil.
An immortal sacrifice.
The words echoed in my head like a blade striking bone.
The stranger stood in front of me, calm as if he had just suggested moving a stone instead of ending a life.
Caelum’s power stirred uneasily beside me.
“That ritual is forbidden,” he said coldly.
The stranger barely glanced at him.
“Most necessary things are.”
I folded my arms slowly.
“No.”
The answer came out sharp and immediate.
His eyes flicked back to mine.
“You didn’t even think about it.”
“I don’t need to.”
“The moon is dying.”
“I heard you the first time.”
“And when it breaks”
“Everyone dies,” I finished flatly.
The Veil stirred with restless wind.
“Still no.”
Something flickered behind his gaze.
Not anger.
Curiosity.
“You’re refusing to save the world.”
“
