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"Sierra, please," I begged, not caring how desperate I sounded. "We can research more, find another way?—"

"There isn't time," she cut me off gently. "And even if there were, this is my choice. My sacrifice to make."

She turned to face us fully, her silver hair glowing in the light of the forge, her eyes filled with a determination that brooked no argument.

"I need you all to trust me," she said. "To respect my decision. And to help me complete this ritual before it's too late."

The three of us exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between us. We were caught in an impossible situation. Honor Sierra's choice and potentially lose her forever, or refuse and doom all the realms to the Shadow Beast's hunger.

"There's no guarantee you'll forget everything," Archer said finally, grasping at straws. "Azrael said the bonds we've formed might serve as an anchor, something for you to find your way back to."

Hope flickered briefly in my chest. "Is that true?"

Sierra nodded, her smile softening. "There's a chance. A small one. But even if I never remember, even if I never know what we were to each other..." Her voice broke slightly. "It will have been worth it, to keep you safe."

The timepiece chimed softly. Five minutes remaining.

"We need to begin." Rowen cleared his throat, his voice rough with emotion. "If this is truly what you've chosen, Sierra, then we will honor it."

She nodded, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you."

With trembling fingers, I unsheathed a small ceremonial dagger from my belt. "You'll need this," I said, offering it to her. "For your blood."

Sierra took the dagger, her fingers brushing mine in a touch that felt like goodbye. "Callum, I need you to weave your shadows around Lightsbane. Rowen, your demonic fire needs to surround the blade but not touch it yet. Archer, your angelic light needs to hover above it all."

We moved into position, each of us channeling our respective powers as Sierra had instructed. My shadows curled around the blade like living smoke, Rowen's demonic fire created a ring of blue-black flame that hovered inches above the sword, and Archer's angelic light formed a halo that bathed everything in a soft, white glow.

Sierra stood at the head of the dais, the ceremonial dagger clutched in her hand. She looked at each of us one last time, her eyes memorizing our faces.

"I love you," she said simply. "All of you. Remember that, even if I can't."

Before any of us could respond, she drew the dagger across her palm, her blood welling bright and red against her pale skin. As the first drop fell onto Lightsbane's blade, the timepiece chimed again.

4:17 a.m. The exact moment of Sierra's birth.

The effect was immediate and catastrophic. The moment her blood touched the blade, a shockwave of power erupted from the point of contact, knocking us all backward. Sierra alone remained standing, her body suddenly rigid, her arms outstretched as if crucified in midair.

"Sierra!" I screamed, trying to reach her, but an invisible barrier had formed around the dais, preventing me from getting close.

Her blood wasn't just dripping onto the blade anymore. It was flowing, defying gravity to coat Lightsbane entirely in a crimson sheath. My shadows, Rowen's fire, and Archer's lightwere being drawn into the blood, creating a swirling vortex of power with Sierra at its center.

Her head was thrown back, her silver hair whipping around her face as if caught in a violent wind. Her eyes were open but unseeing, glowing with a light so bright it hurt to look at directly.

"What's happening to her?" Rowen demanded, his voice barely audible over the roar of power that filled the chamber.

"She's channeling everything," Archer shouted back. "All our powers, all at once!"

Sierra's body began to lift from the platform, hovering several feet in the air as the vortex of energy intensified. Her skin seemed to become translucent, revealing a network of light that flowed through her veins like liquid starlight.

The forge itself responded to the ritual, the lake of molten fire surging upward in great gouts of flame that somehow didn't touch us, protected as we were by my spell. The entire chamber shook, obsidian walls cracking under the strain of containing such power.

And through it all, Sierra remained suspended in the air, her body the conduit for forces beyond comprehension.

Then, suddenly, everything stopped.

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Sierra