Chapter 60: The Weight of a Feather
The back room of the Anchor felt smaller now, the walls pressing in under the weight of the knowledge they carried. Morwen's words had transformed the problem from a local sickness into a geological-scale crisis. The air wasn't just stale; it was thick with the gravity of a decision that had no clear path forward.
Kaelen broke the silence, his voice low and methodical, carving the existential horror into manageable tasks. "We have three operational problems. One: transportation to and secure positioning at the epicenter. Two: protection for the… asset," he said, the word 'asset' sticking in his throat as his eyes flicked to Aurora, who was chewing contentedly on the edge of her wooden fulcrum charm. "Three: execution of an untested, theoretical magical procedure with zero margin for error."
