Chapter 32 · One Death Left

"You're bleeding through the shirt," Mara said.

Rowan looked down. The fabric was dark already, so the fresh stain didn't show much. "Yeah, well. Dying hurts."

"Don't joke."

"Not joking." He pulled the collar aside. The mark from the last reset ran like a burn across his collarbone, still raw. "Every time I come back, it leaves something. This one's new."

Mara stepped closer, close enough that he could smell the smoke still clinging to her coat. Her fingers brushed the edge of the mark, and he sucked in a breath.

"Sorry," she said, but she didn't pull back.

"It's fine." It wasn't. The touch made the whole thing flare hot, like she'd pressed a brand to bare skin. "We don't have time for this."

"Then talk fast." Her hand dropped, but she stayed right there, close enough that he had to tilt his chin down to meet her eyes. "What did the bell tell you?"

Rowan swallowed. The prompt was still floating in the corner of his vision, red letters on black. He'd been ignoring it for the last three minutes, but it wasn't going away.

**CRITICAL PATH DETECTED. ONE RESET REMAINING.