"This isn't over, is it?" Jude's voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
The man tilted his head slightly, considering him. "No. It's only just begun."
Jude forced himself to meet his gaze, searching for something ,some sign of reassurance, some indication that he hadn't just made an irreversible mistake. But there was nothing. No comfort. No certainty. Just the cold weight of reality pressing in on him.
His fingers curled into fists at his sides. "And what exactly am I supposed to do now?"
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his attention to the entity. It remained silent, still shifting subtly, as though adjusting to its newfound stability. The atmosphere in the chamber had changed, no longer oppressive but charged with something else ,something waiting.
"You are its guide," the man said finally, his voice calm, deliberate. "That was the choice you made."
Jude clenched his jaw. "I didn't know what I was choosing."
