Emma's silver light vanished like a blown-out candle.
"I know what I have to do," she said, landing on the star-sand beach with a soft thud.
Kael rushed toward her. "Emma, whatever you're thinking—"
"I have to die."
The words hit everyone like a punch to the stomach. Marcus dropped his sword. Future Emma gasped. Even the Necro-Sovereign stopped its ritual for a moment.
"What?" Kael's voice cracked.
Emma wiped tears from her eyes. Her hands were shaking, but her voice stayed steady. "Think about it, Dad. I can bring people back from the dead, but I've never actually been dead myself. How can I understand what they really want if I don't know what death feels like?"
"That's crazy!" Ronan shouted. "You'll just... be dead!"
"No." Emma shook her head. "I'll be dead for a little while. Then I'll come back. But while I'm there, I can learn the truth about what the dead really need."
Shadow Emma flew closer. "In my timeline, I tried that. I died and stayed dead."
