“Mare?” he prods, and I can hear the tremors in his voice. “Are you afraid, Maven?” My words are weak, a whisper. “I am.” His eyes harden, shifting into blue steel. “I’m afraid of failing. I’m afraid of letting this opportunity pass us by. And I’m afraid of what happens if nothing in this world ever changes.” He turns hot under my touch, driven by an inner resolve. “That scares me more than dying.” It’s hard not to be swept away by his words, and I nod along with him. How can I back out? I will not flinch. “Rise,” he murmurs, so low I barely hear him. Red as the dawn. His grip tightens on me
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