Lila sat in the abandoned chapel, her fingers gripping the edges of the worn wooden table as frustration boiled inside her.
No one was willing to help her.
No one understood. Lady Victoria dismissed her concerns, Nana White acted as if none of it mattered, and now, she was completely alone in this.
She clenched her jaw, her breath uneven. The voice had returned, whispering in the back of her mind.
"Free us… Lila, you promised."
A shudder ran down her spine, but she did not reject the voice. Unlike the others, it never ignored her. It never mocked her or told her to wait.
"I will. I swear I will."
She whispered, her fingers tightening into fists.
She had prepared for this.
For months, she had been gathering resources, setting up what was needed to perform the ritual that would finally bring Goddess Minerva back.
And now, she was down to the last step—the final sacrificial village.
