The invisible force tightened. The girl gasped, clutching her chest as ritual threads sank deeper, dragging something vital out of her.
"No… please…"
Maya tried to turn away. The chamber would not let her.
"Witness," the voice had commanded.
And so she did.
The girl's knees buckled. A raw cry tore from her throat as crimson lines spiderwebbed beneath her skin. "Maya!"
Panic shattered the word.
"Please—stop—!"
Maya's own breathing fractured inside the memory. Not guilt. Recognition. She had stood there. Still. Watching. Choosing not to intervene.
The circle flared violently.
The girl screamed.
The chamber cracked open. Shadows poured out like smoke while dozens of distorted voices whispered judgment at once.
The girl lifted her head.
Her face changed.
It became Dakota—same eyes, same trembling mouth. Blood dripped from her nose, her lips, her hands.
"You took it from me."
Maya staggered back. "No."
"You knew," Dakota whispered. "You still chose yourself."
