The First of the Five-Pointed Star

Bethana murmured, "Do I have any other path left?"

Something was off about Bethana. Her voice sounded muffled, as if she were speaking from inside a box.

Her mood was unusually bleak. Even as the sacrifices outside continued to cause carnage, she seemed convinced she couldn't be resurrected.

But that was completely at odds with how decisively she had just initiated a citywide sacrifice.

When she'd tried to take Thor and Shaya down with her, she'd still shown a final spark of resolve. But when she heard Thor say there was another way, it was as if all the strength had drained out of her.

"Besides trusting me, you don't have any other options, do you?"

Bethana's eyes barely moved. "If I trust you, I'll just become one of your test subjects."

"Of course, a deal comes at a price. But not the kind of test subject you're imagining. You can stay alive and keep your mind, but your freedom will be restricted. Still, I can promise to set you free after you've served me for a hundred years."

While Bethana hesitated, Thor quietly probed her with his Mental Power.

He had to be careful in case Bethana was secretly preparing some kind of trick. Besides, her hesitant, fragile state was nothing like what one would expect of a Tier 3 Wizard.

Just then, as his Mental Power swept over a patch of shadow behind Bethana, tightly wrapped in roots, he suddenly felt a scorching heat, as if something had burned him.

"What's that?" Thor wondered.

To his surprise, Bethana answered him outright. "It's a Wish Candle."

"A Wish Candle?" Thor had never heard of such a thing. But why had Bethana answered him just now?

Could she have gone mad?

Only after Thor prompted her did Bethana remember the