Inside the prison I'd made of myself, Grace cried.Not because she was hurt. Because she understood what I'd done. What it meant. What it cost."Mommy, please," she sobbed. "Please don't do this. Please find another way. Please—""There is no other way, baby," I said softly. My voice existed only inside our shared space now. Only in the consciousness trap I'd become. "This is how I save you. How I save everyone. How I finally—finally—do something right."The woman raged inside me. Clawed at my consciousness. Tried to break free. But I held tight. Wrapped around her like chains. Like walls. Like mother's arms protecting child from monster."You can't hold me forever," the woman snarled. "Eventually you'll weaken. Eventually you'll—""Eventually doesn't matter," I said. "What matters is now. What matters is Grace gets to live. Gets to grow up. Gets to be more than vessel. More than host. More than tool."Outside our shared consciousness, Reaper's body collapsed. Empty now. Just meat wit
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