Zorya's words hung in the East Basement while the silver runes faded.
You have to give up a piece of yourself to forge a permanent bond.
Raziel stared at the blank wall and felt the weight of that warning.
He had already sacrificed a massive chunk of his humanity to the Shadow Parasite, and he operated on seventy-three percent empathy right now.
He had very little left to burn before the cold numbness consumed his mind.
He had to clear the board of active enemies before he even thought about taking the third trial.
CLACK.
The iron bolt of the workshop door slid back.
Lucian stepped into the basement and closed the metal door behind him.
He just finished scouting the upper corridors to make sure the night guards stayed away from their hidden base.
"The perimeter is clear," Lucian announced. "What did the walls say today?"
"They told us the third trial demands a sacrifice," Raziel answered.
He turned his back to the wall and walked over to the large table.
