"I razed villages to the ground to secure the components."
"I corrupted men who were loyal to their kings, turning them into hollowed-out puppets."
"I kidnapped the innocent and chained them to an altar to feed a god of hunger."
He didn't take Lucian's hand. Instead, he stepped even closer to the edge, the wind whipping the scent of ozone and ancient blood toward them.
"This isn't just a tactical necessity, Lucian," Corvus said, his voice gaining a final, ironclad resolve. "This is my redemption."
"Or at least, the closest thing to it that a monster like me is allowed to have."
The air grew heavy, thick with the metallic tang of blood and the suffocating pressure of the divine dome. Serenia took a step forward, her movements uncharacteristically heavy, as if the very atmosphere were made of lead.
