The air still hung heavy with tension after Liora's ominous departure. The group remained silent, each one processing the witch's final words:
"Hesitation will be your undoing."
The crackling firelight cast jagged shadows across the broken ruins, dancing on faces carved by battle and betrayal.
Cain broke the silence first, his voice low and cold. "We need to make a decision."
Nick scoffed, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "What's there to think about? We can't trust her. The second she gets what she wants, she'll turn on us."
Gerald stepped forward, defiance in his eyes. "But if we don't act, Liam's as good as dead—and Faye finishes what she started."
Cain's sharp gaze pinned the boy in place. "Dead or worse. If the ritual succeeds, Liam becomes a vessel for Behemoth's resurrection. That's the end of everything."
Archer's voice dripped with sarcasm. "And trusting a witch with a god-complex is supposed to stop that?"