****************
This was the moment they'd waited for.
This was the moment they wanted.
"More," one of the witches hissed. "She's holding back."
"She's breaking!" another cried.
"She has more. It's buried deeper—tap the inner sanctum!"
I felt something grip my spine, not physically—but metaphysically. Like cold claws dug into the root of my soul and twisted.
I screamed again—this time blood spilled from my nose. My ears rang so loud I thought they'd burst. My chest heaved, and I thought—for a moment—I might die. That this was it. The moment the power I'd protected, the legacy I'd carried, would finally be stolen.
And then I felt something snap.
Something inside me broke.
A memory tore from me—my father's face. His voice. His laugh. And then… gone.
"No…" I whimpered.
Light burst from my mouth in a violent surge, illuminating the dome in brilliant white as my eyes rolled back and my skin flushed a dangerous, glowing red.
The altar beneath me cracked.
