Isadora's throat was dry. She could hardly breathe.
Her mind reeled back to what the witch in Veridium had told her—"The beast is among you." At the time, she had thought it meant Lucien. Now she understood. The beast wasn't him. It was inside him. Inside others, maybe. Hidden, waiting.
And the bracelet hadn't dragged her across dimensions by mistake. It had chosen her. To hold the line. To keep him—keep them—from breaking.
She closed her eyes, the truth sinking heavy in her chest. If she failed, Lucien wouldn't just lose himself. The Destroyer would return, and it would consume everything.
The voice spoke once more, softer now.
"You have your answer, Protector. Leave now, before the price deepens."
The book closed on its own and floated back into the air. The other tomes stirred, spinning again in their endless dance.
Isadora stumbled backward, her legs unsteady. Her cut finger had already closed, leaving no trace of blood, but her body felt weaker, drained.
