The shadow-chains drank deeply.
Saguna poured his essence into them willingly, feeling his life force rush out like water through a broken dam. The jasper stone around his neck cracked, then shattered completely, its fragments dissolving into silver dust that the chains absorbed hungrily.
For a moment, hope flared in his chest. Surely this sacrifice would free Sahara, would break whatever held her prisoner. He'd given everything — his power, his stone, his very soul — to save his sister.
But the chains only grew stronger.
"No," Sahara whispered from beyond the barrier, her form growing even fainter as the chains fed on Saguna's essence. "Oh, little brother, what have you done?"
