The void trembled with my answer.
"Yes. I'll do it."
The words left my mouth like shards of glass, tearing me as they escaped. But the moment they hung in the air, the claws retreated, the screams dulled, and for the first time since my fall, silence returned.
I had chosen.
Not out of courage.
Not out of hope.
But because the alternative was worse than hell.
"Good," the voice whispered, its satisfaction dripping like venom.
"We shall see if you are worthy."