Jack felt pressure building in his chest like steam in a sealed kettle. These people were asking him to make a choice that could fundamentally alter not just his own life, but potentially the fate of kingdoms.
Yet something about their certainty, their specific knowledge of his his past, suggested they weren't just deluded fanatics.
'There has to be a middle ground,' Jack realized, his mind searching for options that didn't require complete surrender to their agenda.
"I have a counter-proposal," Jack said finally, his voice taking on the authoritative tone he'd learned from watching his father negotiate. "You claim to serve divine purposes, to understand cosmic forces beyond mortal comprehension. Prove it."
The three cultists exchanged glances, clearly not having expected a negotiation rather than simple acceptance or rejection.
"Prove it how?" Brother Matthias asked cautiously.
