(HAELORIAN'S POV)
I remained on my knees in the cold, muddy grass, staring at the ground without actually seeing it. The echo of Vaelion's words still reverberated through my skull, a death knell I couldn't silence.
'Do not perform the rebonding ritual.'
'If you proceed with this ritual, there will be severe consequences.'
The weight of those words settled down on me like a mountain, crushing the air from my lungs. I had spent centuries in servitude to the Sun God, had dedicated my immortal existence to upholding his laws, his will, his divine order. Never once had I questioned him. Never once had I dared to defy him.
But now...
