"The relic?" My voice trembled as my hand instinctively pressed against my pocket, feeling the outline of the star-shaped pendant.
"Don't play dumb with me!" The voice that came from Nolan's small body sounded like gravel being crushed beneath heavy boots. "I can feel its energy calling to me. Give it to me now, or watch this pathetic child die a slow, agonizing death."
As if to emphasize his point, Nolan's body convulsed again. Blood trickled from his nose in a steady stream now, his skin growing paler by the second. The sight of his small form being brutally used as a puppet made my stomach churn.
"Alright," I whispered, reaching into my pocket with shaking fingers. "Just stop hurting him."
The star-shaped relic felt warm against my palm, almost pulsing with energy. Something inside me screamed not to surrender it, but what choice did I have? I couldn't let an innocent child suffer.
