The preparation took three days instead of one.
Rare components were harder to find than Elena had anticipated. The location needed specific magical properties. And the timing had to align with certain celestial events for the ritual to work properly.
I spent those three days in a strange suspended state. Simultaneously terrified and determined. Knowing I was about to fundamentally change but unable to stop the momentum.
"Last chance to back out," Elena said on the morning of the ritual. "Once we begin, there's no stopping until it's complete or you're dead. You understand that?"
"I understand."
"And you still want to proceed?"
"I don't want to. But I need to. There's a difference."
"That's the answer I was looking for. Someone who wants power is dangerous. Someone who takes it reluctantly out of necessity is much safer."
