Sophia stared at me for a long time while I felt as if I had a knot in my stomach that made me barely able to maintain my composure.

What if she said no? Then who could I turn to?

I really couldn’t imagine.

It felt like ages had passed before she finally let out a breath and said, “Tell me what to do.”

***

As expected, Xavier sent for the sacred artifact in Sophia’s pack and then came to look for her. Sophia volunteered to perform the secret ...