The fifth bell did not ring.
“That was before I became the one who had to decide.”
“I would rather save the ones who can still be saved!” Her voice broke the rain. “There are children in the upper wards. Children , Kael. The Rite doesn’t discriminate. It burns everyone inside the radius. You told me that yourself three years ago. You called it monstrous.” Dilemma of Devotion -Ch.2 Ep 4.5- By PulseHaven...
“You mean you won’t.”
“Say it again,” Mira whispered. Not angry. Just tired. The fifth bell did not ring
“You called it a nightmare.” She closed the distance. Now they were inches apart, her free hand pressed flat against his chest. His heartbeat thundered under her palm—fast, human, traitorous . “I remember. We were lying in the hayloft after the Solace Massacre. You said… you said you’d never let duty turn you into a monster.”
He had fifteen minutes.
Kaelen opened his eyes.
“Mira,” he said. Not a plea. Not a command. Just her name, spoken like a prayer he’d forgotten he believed in. Children , Kael
His hands trembled as they rose to cover hers. “If I don’t do this…”