"No."
Kai said it immediately.
Instantly.
Like the word existed before the thought itself.
Seraphine watched him carefully.
"You don't understand what the Veil—"
"I understand enough," Kai cut in coldly. "I'm not choosing between them."
The force behind those words silenced everyone.
Because this wasn't anger anymore.
This was terror wearing control like armor.
Nancy stared at him.
"Kai…"
He turned toward her so fast it almost hurt.
"No."
Again.
Softer this time.
But somehow more desperate.
"We are not doing this."
Inside—
Nyra was painfully quiet.
Seraphine exhaled slowly.
"The choice may not be optional."
Leo rubbed both hands over his face.
"I would like one single apocalypse that doesn't emotionally destroy us personally."
"That was never realistic," Mara muttered.
Honestly—
fair.
Kai ignored all of them.
His focus stayed entirely on Nancy.
Like if he looked away for one second—
she might disappear.
"We'll find another solution."
Nancy wanted to believe him.
God, she wanted to.
But fear had already rooted itself too deeply in her chest.
Because the problem wasn't death.
Not exactly.
It was worse.
It was losing herself slowly enough to watch it happen.
"Nancy."
Nyra's voice startled her.
Soft.
Fragile.
Not ancient.
Not powerful.
Just tired.
You should let me go.
Her breath caught.
Immediately—
"No."
The answer came so fast it surprised even her.
Inside—
silence.
Confused silence.
Nyra spoke carefully.
If I remain, you may cease to exist.
Nancy swallowed hard.
"And if you leave?"
A pause.
Then quietly—
I return to the Veil alone.
Oh.
Oh that sounded horrifying.
Nancy suddenly understood something terrible:
Nyra wasn't afraid of dying.
She was afraid of being alone again.
Kai stepped closer to Nancy, grounding her before the panic could fully rise.
"What is she saying?"
Nancy hesitated.
Because saying it out loud would make it real.
Still—
"She wants to sacrifice herself."
Leo immediately pointed at the sky.
"Absolutely not. I reject that emotionally and professionally."
Evan nodded once.
"Agreed."
Mara crossed her arms tightly.
"We are not solving this with self-destruction."
For once—
everyone was united.
Seraphine's expression softened faintly.
"She always did this."
Nancy looked at her sharply.
"What?"
"Nyra." Seraphine smiled sadly. "She loved people enough to destroy herself for them."
Inside—
pain stirred quietly.
Old pain.
Embarrassed pain.
Do not romanticize my bad decisions.
Nancy blinked.
"…okay, that was weirdly relatable."
A tiny laugh escaped Leo.
"Finally. Ancient trauma with personality."
"Please stop talking," Evan said.
"No."
But the moment didn't last.
Because fear still lingered beneath everything.
Heavy.
Waiting.
Kai finally looked at Seraphine again.
"If the Veil is the only option, then we prepare first."
Seraphine frowned slightly.
"There may not be much time."
"Then we use what we have."
His voice stayed steady.
Controlled.
But Nancy knew him now.
Knew the tiny shifts.
The tension in his jaw.
The way his hands curled slightly when he was terrified.
And he was terrified.
For her.
That realization settled heavily in her chest.
Because through all of this—
Kai had never once acted afraid for himself.
Only for her.
Always her.
Later
The cabin grew quieter as the night deepened.
No one really slept.
Hard to sleep after discovering your soul had a possible expiration date.
Unpleasant information overall.
Nancy sat alone near the fireplace, knees pulled to her chest.
The flames crackled softly.
Warm.
Safe.
Temporary.
Inside—
Nyra lingered silently beside her thoughts.
Not distant.
Just careful.
Like she no longer trusted herself near Nancy's emotions.
Finally, Nancy spoke.
"You really would choose me?"
A long pause.
Then—
Without hesitation.
"Yes."
No ancient echo.
No mystery.
Just honesty.
Nancy stared into the fire.
"…why?"
The answer came so softly it almost broke her.
Because you gave me back my name.
Tears burned unexpectedly behind Nancy's eyes.
Oh.
That was unfair.
Deeply unfair emotionally.
"You saved me too," Nyra whispered.
Nancy pressed her lips together tightly.
Because nobody had ever said that to her before.
Not like this.
Not without expecting something in return.
Footsteps approached quietly.
Kai.
Of course.
He sat beside her without speaking.
Close enough to touch.
Close enough to remind her she wasn't alone.
After a while—
he finally murmured,
"You're crying."
Nancy wiped at her face immediately.
"I reject your observations."
"They seem objectively true."
"Rude."
"Consistently."
Good.
Normal teasing.
She desperately needed normal right now.
Kai studied her carefully in the firelight.
Then quietly—
"Are you scared?"
Nancy opened her mouth automatically—
then stopped.
Because lying suddenly felt exhausting.
"…yeah."
The honesty sat between them.
Heavy.
Real.
Kai's expression softened instantly.
Not pity.
Never pity.
Just understanding.
Nancy stared at the fire again.
"What if I disappear?"
His answer came immediately.
"You won't."
"You can't promise that."
"No," he admitted quietly. "But I can promise you won't face it alone."
And somehow—
that was worse.
Because hope was dangerous.
Hope made losing things hurt more.
Kai reached for her hand slowly.
Carefully.
Giving her time to pull away.
She didn't.
His fingers intertwined with hers.
Warm.
Steady.
Real.
Then softly—
with terrifying sincerity—
"If the Veil tries to take you from me…"
Nancy looked at him.
And the look in his eyes?
God.
Dangerous.
Kai's voice lowered.
"It's going to learn why that was a mistake."