Commander Lyra stood before the blood-tinged fountain, her gaze locked on Kaelen, a silent battle raging within her.
The desire for power, the yearning to reclaim the Silent Guard's lost legacy, warred with the chilling realization of the price she would have to pay.
She had seen the brutal ritual, the swift, merciless deaths of her fellow guards, and yet… she couldn't tear her gaze away from the crimson marks that pulsed with an otherworldly light on their necks.
She had felt the power that now flowed through them, and that pull was far stronger than any sense of responsibility.
"This is your destiny, Commander," Kaelen said, his voice soft, almost a whisper, yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority, of unwavering command.
His words were not a suggestion, but a decree, a prophecy foretelling the path that she had no choice but to follow, a choice that had already been made for her.
It was either this, or nothing at all.
