The Blade of Willing Sacrifice felt alive in Azrael's hands, its shifting surface warm against his palms despite its otherworldly nature. Around him, the Forgotten Ones had formed a circle at the crystal altar, their faces solemn with the gravity of what they were about to witness. Elena stood directly across from him, her ancient eyes reflecting depths of knowledge that spanned millennia.

"The ritual is simple in concept but dangerous in execution," she explained, her voice carrying the ...