The Heart pulsed before me, crimson light washing over my trembling fingers as they hovered just inches from its surface. Each throb sent waves of energy rippling across my skin, whispering ancient warnings I couldn't fully comprehend.
Behind me, Damian's impatient voice cut through the sacred silence. "Take it now, Seraphina! Or shall I give the order to execute your precious friends?"
My chest tightened as I pictured Regina and Ronan in the dungeon, silver chains burning into their flesh, death hanging over them because of me. The choice before me was impossible—desecrate my ancestors' legacy or condemn innocent lives.
"Forgive me," I whispered to my mother's stone face above me.
I closed the distance, pressing my palm against the Heart of the Selenias.
The world exploded into crimson light.