The burning battlements, the bloodstained white dress, and the hand reaching out, clutching a copper bell...
“I... I don't know...” Aji gritted his teeth. Cold sweat dripped onto the ground, spreading into a small, dark patch.
The woman watched him suffer, her expression complex, as if she pitied him, or perhaps felt something else. She brought the two bells together and gave them a gentle twist. With a click, they joined to form a perfect ring. The green patina faded, revealing a brilliant golden surface etched with intricate patterns that looked like some kind of talisman.
