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Nothing happened.

He glanced at his feet, stamped the medallion before growling, “Why isn’t this working?”

Zora knew because of the book she’d read upon her arrival, but she wasn’t about to tell him.

The gunshots outside the room ceased, and in that silence, she could hear Tower’s hum. At least it lived, of sorts, but with its injuries, how much could it help?

Fixated on the doorway, Zora didn’t notice Crius lunging for her but certainly felt the arm that wrapped around her neck. The chokehold had her gasping and clawing, but Crius held her tight against him, using her as a shield just as two shirtless men entered the room.

Not just any men. Zodiac Warriors, who looked more savage barbarian than anything, given Capricorn and Aries wore ill-fitting pants and nothing else. The pair toted guns, which they aimed.

“Let her go, asshole. It’s over,” snarled Capricorn.

“I didn’t come this far to give up,” Crius replied.

“You won’t succeed,” Aries coldly stated. “Nor will you be leaving here alive.”

“How are you going to kill me?” taunted Crius. “You gonna shoot the blacksmith? What about your vow to protect the innocent?”

Capricorn’s jaw tightened. “I don’t need to shoot because you’ll eventually tire. Or do you really think you can hold her forever?”

He didn’t need forever. Zora could feel herself fading, the lack of oxygen making her vision blur.

Aries must have noticed. “He’s choking her out.”

“Fuck me. Do you have clean shot?” Capricorn asked, his voice reedy with a hint of panic.

“No.” Aries’ somber reply.

“Tell me how to transfer the power from the thirteenth dais, and I’ll let her go,” Crius offered.

That would be the worst idea, but Zora saw Capricorn contemplating it and managed to croak, “Shoot him.”

“I can’t,” Capricorn cried out. “You’ll be hurt.”

“Do. It,” she managed to whisper as darkness began sucking her into its limbo.

Aries murmured something she couldn’t hear, to which Capricorn replied, “If she dies, I’m blaming you.”

Crius jerked her sideways just as someone fired a gun. She heard Capricorn yell, “He fucking moved, and I hit her in the chest. Fuck. Fuck.”

Zora didn’t feel any pain, but Crius did, for he cried out abruptly and released her. Lacking strength to stand, Zora collapsed atop the dais, doing her best to heave in much-needed air. But breathing wasn’t enough. She suddenly felt her injury, the throb in her ribs, the gushing of blood. It pooled under her, coating the dais she’d fallen upon.

Soaking it.

Activating the medallion for the thirteenth Zodiac and drawing her into a cold and nothing place.

Wait, not nothing. She could see pinpricks of light. The twinkle of stars, hundreds, thousands, millions of them. Had she died?

You’re not dead.A voice replied to her unspoken words.

While she had no lips to speak, she could still think.Where am I?

You are in the void of space.

Are you God?

No, but there was a time I was worshipped as one, Female.