Ashwing snapped, "Hesitation keeps people alive!"
"And kills them just as often," the echo replied evenly.
Lindarion exhaled slowly. "You're wrong."
The echo raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About restraint being pretense," Lindarion said. His voice was steady, grounded. "I choose control because I've seen what happens when power outruns purpose. I don't fear becoming you. I reject becoming unnecessary."
The mirror trembled.
For the first time, the echo's smile faltered.
"You believe that choice alone defines you," it said, a hint of something sharper creeping into its tone. "Then prove it. Take one step closer. Let the spiral judge which of us is real."
The basin responded, symbols igniting along its circumference. Pressure mounted instantly, reality compressing inward like a held breath. Nysha reached for Lindarion again, but he gently pulled free.
"This is my decision," he said quietly. "Whatever happens, don't interfere."
