"It won't choose me," Gad said slowly, understanding dawning with terrible clarity. "It'll choose Mira."
"Based on the pattern I've found, yes," Bellan confirmed. "The bloodline was the original door. You closed that door once, through the mirrored seal. If it opens again through hesitation, it seeks the nearest remaining connection, the one still open and unresolved. That's Mira, not you."
Mira had gone very still, her hand instinctively moving to press against her own chest. "So if either of us doubts, even for a second, this thing settles into me permanently."
"That's what the inscription suggests," Bellan said. "I want to stress, I'm still working through the full context. There may be nuances I'm missing."
"But you don't think you're wrong," Gad said.
Bellan met his eyes, exhaust
