"It took the words," Mira said quietly. "Not the memory that we talked about. Just what I actually said."
"I'm sorry," Gad said, the apology feeling hopelessly small against what he'd lost.
"Don't." Mira's voice steadied, though her eyes stayed bright with unshed tears. "I'll tell you again, right now, so you have it back. I chose this. I chose it again. That hasn't changed, whether you remember the first time or not."
Doran watched the exchange with a grim, tightening expression. "The seal's toll is accelerating. First a conversation about Oris. Now something this significant."
"We're close," Bellan said. "Whatever's waiting at the end of this pass, the seal seems to sense it. Maybe that's why the cost keeps rising."
"Then let's move quickly," Vesk said, glancing toward the widening
