There was a tangible vibrancy in the subterranean cavern. In time with Zara's pendant's brightness, the enormous crystal in its core pulsed. The spooky atmosphere was alive with echoes of the past as shadows moved across the old engravings on the walls.
As Zara gazed at the crystal, her chest constricted. What does "sacrifice" mean to you? What is it requesting from us?
The man's damaged face softened, but there was no consolation in his hollow eyes. Nothing is free, yet the Nexus has unfathomable power. It requires an offering—a piece of yourself that you might never get back—in order to divulge its secrets.
With his blade still in his grasp, Elias took a step forward. "You can not really expect us to do this without further information. What is required? Our existence? "Our souls?"
The slight smile that formed on the man's lips did little to reduce the strain. "Not your lives. Not your souls. But the most important thing to you. You are the only one who can identify that.
The Cautio
