"I can and I will," Azzy insisted, his voice gaining strength. "Because no matter how much power you've absorbed, no matter how much you've changed, you're still Claire. And I will save you."
The pillars around her continued to pulse, each one drawing closer to her body, merging with her in a brilliant display of divine energy. The room hummed with power, and Azzy could feel the world shifting as her transformation accelerated.
The Reaper's voice rang in his mind again, louder this time, more forceful. "She is lost, Azrael. There's no saving her. You must make the choice. Kill her now, or let the world burn."
Azzy tightened the grip on his sword and pushed forward.
As Claire started absorbing the second pillar, the divine energy surged, filling the room with a radiant glow. She turned her eyes toward him, cold and empty, and then, with a flick of her wrist, the remaining thirty-four pillars hovered around her like sentinels ready to protect and also to strike.
