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Rowen

Sierra had been quiet all day. I couldn't blame her, not with the impending task that loomed before us. The ritual to forge Lightbringer, our only hope against the Shadow Beast, was mere hours away, and the weight of it pressed down on all of us.

I watched her from across our chambers as she methodically sorted through her clothes, selecting items with an attention to detail that seemed excessive even for her. Her silver hair was pulled back in a simple braid, exposing the delicate line of her neck where our claiming marks still shimmered. She'd been like this since morning. Focused, withdrawn, almost mechanical in her movements.

"Are you sure about the timing?" I asked, breaking the silence that had settled between us. "Midnight seems traditional for rituals of this magnitude."

Sierra didn't look up from her task, but I caught the slight tensing of her shoulders. "It's not midnight," she said, her voice soft but certain. "It needs to be 4:17 in the morning. The exact time I was born."

I frowned, crossing the room to stand behind her. "You never mentioned this before."

"I didn't know before." She finally turned to face me, her silver eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made something in my chest tighten. "I had another dream about Azrael last night. He confirmed it has to be the exact moment of my birth for the ritual to work properly."

I studied her face, searching for any sign of deception. Sierra had always been a terrible liar. Her expressions were too open, too honest. But something in her gaze now seemed guarded, as if she were holding part of herself back.

"What else did he tell you?" I pressed, my instincts warning me there was more to this revelation.

She shrugged, turning back to her clothes. "Just details about the ritual we already knew. The alignment of celestial forces will be strongest at that precise moment, that's all."

I didn't believe her, not entirely, but I let it go for now. We all had our secrets, our fears about what was to come. If this detail about the timing was what she'd chosen to share, I would accept it.

"I'll inform Callum and make the necessary adjustments," I said, resting my hand briefly on her shoulder. "Are you... alright?"

She leaned into my touch, just slightly, her eyes closing for a moment. "Just nervous. There's a lot riding on this."

That, at least, was undeniably true. The fate of multiple realms, the lives of countless beings, our future together. All of it hinged on successfully forging Lightbringer and defeating the Shadow Beast.

"We'll succeed," I told her, injecting confidence into my voice that I didn't entirely feel. "Together."

Sierra nodded, but didn't respond otherwise. After a moment, I left her to her preparations and went to find Callum.

I located him in the library with Lightsbane laid out on the table before him. The ancient blade gleamed darkly in thedim light, its runes seeming to shift and move when viewed from the corner of the eye. My half-brother was polishing it with methodical care, his fingers moving over the metal with a reverence that bordered on devotion.

"There's been a change of plans," I announced, approaching the table. "The ritual needs to happen at 4:17 in the morning, not midnight."

Callum looked up, his pale green eyes narrowing slightly. "Why the change?"

"According to Sierra, it's the exact time of her birth. Azrael told her the celestial alignment will be strongest then."

Callum's hands stilled on the blade. "When did she learn this?"

"Last night, apparently. Another dream visitation."

He was silent for a moment, processing this new information. "That's... very specific."

"Too specific?" I asked, voicing the concern that had been nagging at me.

Callum's gaze returned to Lightsbane, his expression thoughtful. "Perhaps. But if Azrael himself provided the information, we should heed it. The Angel of Death isn't known for frivolous guidance."

I nodded, though the unease persisted. "Where's Archer?"

"Still preparing in the eastern wing. He's been meditating since dawn, focusing his angelic energies for the ritual." Callum ran his thumb over one of the runes etched into the blade. "He's taking this very seriously."

"We all are," I pointed out, moving to examine the sword more closely. "This may be our only chance to defeat the Shadow Beast."

Callum's eyes met mine, and I saw my own concerns reflected there. "Have you noticed anything... unusual about Sierra today?"

So I wasn't the only one who'd sensed something off. "She's distant. Preoccupied."