Sacrifice.

The air in the Temple of Lussi was heavy with exhaustion and dread, but despite their weariness, River and her cohort knew there was no room for hesitation.

The eerie smiles of the temple dwellers, twisted with malice, flickered in the dim torchlight.

River could feel the energy in the room shift—something terrible was about to happen.

She glanced at her companions: Marion, Sarah, and Alice. They were all breathing heavily, their faces slick with sweat and smeared with dirt.

None of them could afford to rest, not with the menacing presence of their would-be attackers looming in the shadows.

"We need to get out of here," River said, her voice barely above a whisper, though every word dripped with urgency.

Her companions nodded, but their exhaustion was palpable. Marion was clutching his side, the deep gash in his ribs seeping blood despite his best efforts to ignore the pain.