"Open it." He growled, shoving Sora forward towards a mechanical door. The hot desert wind stung my face as I watched Sora stumble, the sand shifting beneath her feet. "Ras-" I started, moving to help Sora up but hesitating when Ras glared at me with those piercing yellow eyes. The air felt heavy with tension, carrying the faint scent of metal and something ancient. Sora huffed and stood, dusting off her pants and turning to look up at the large gate. The sun glinted off its metallic surface, revealing intricate engravings I couldn't decipher. She could, theoretically, open it using her elemental powers, but she wasn't quite sure how the door worked so she might accidentally blow it up. "I'll try-""You will." Ras's voice was a low snarl that sent a chill down my spine despite the desert heat. "Try. I will try to open the door." Sora snapped back, her voice trembling slightly with a mix of fear and defiance. She rolled her eyes when Ras snarled, the sound like gravel crunching underfoot. She glanced at me with a sympathetic look when I stared at my feet, clearly wanting to defend her but too afraid of Ras's reaction. The weight of my decision to follow him pressed down on me like the desert sun. She sighed, lifting her hands as they glowed that familiar pink I'd grown to associate with her power, the gate glowing the same color as she strained to release the mechanisms that held it shut. The air crackled with energy, making the hair on my arms stand up. It took a minute, and she almost tore it apart on accident, but she managed to get it open with a metallic creak. She turned to Ras and me, glaring more particularly at the black and purple tiger. "Happy?""Very." He shoved past her, the fur on his shoulders rippling with tension as I staggered to keep up. "he's such a pushover sometimes." Sora thought, falling in step beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off immediately, too consumed by guilt and frustration to accept comfort. The sand felt hot through the soles of my boots as we walked, each step sending up tiny clouds of dust. I took a deep breath, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear, looking at the sandy ground below us as we walked. I felt bad- so bad- for making her feel this way. Upset, betrayed, like she couldn't do anything right. But she could! I knew she could. She just failed to see that. I just wanted to help my parents, and it resulted in this. Stuck with Ras, doing what he wants because I'm grasping at impossible hope. "Hm." Ras hummed, staring at the shrine ahead of us and reading the note left behind on a weathered stone. The shrine loomed against the sky, ancient and foreboding, its stone surfaces carved with strange symbols. I did the same, while Sora tilted her head, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as if trying to protect herself. "... we aren't.. here for this, are we?" I stammered, the words catching in my throat as I recognized the ritual description. My hands began to shake, and my mouth went dry. The ritual for this shrine required a sacrifice, the death of another, to summon the ghost. "Of course we are." Ras's voice was casual, as if discussing the weather rather than murder. "But- that's not.. you said no one would get hurt." My voice rose with panic, the desert wind suddenly feeling cold against my skin. "I said you wouldn't get hurt." He pointed his sword at Sora, the metal glinting in the sunlight as it caught the light. Sora staggered back, hitting the sand with a soft thud that seemed to echo in the silent desert. A scowl spread over his furry features when she looked up with a fearful and confused gaze, her eyes wide with terror. "You, come here.""Ras, no!" I protested, taking a step forward and trying to get Ras to lower the sword. The muscles in my legs tensed, ready to fight if necessary. "Back up, boy." He shoved me off with surprising strength, sending me sprawling in the sand. The grit burned my palms as I hit the ground. Raising his sword, he aimed directly for Sora's neck, the tip of the blade trembling slightly with the force of his grip. "NO!" Ras brought his sword down and I dived forward, not really thinking of the consequences, my body moving faster than my mind could process the danger.