Chapter 20
The Price of the Dream
Mikutis and Jonas face the shadow's demand at the Forgotten Gate. Mikutis offers his dream of flying, but the shadow reveals his earlier offering was incomplete. Jonas adds his torn balloon fabric as a memory of flight. The gate opens, but the old guardians stir, demanding more. A new voice warns of an unbalanced sacrifice.
The shadow waited, its many whispers brushing against Mikutis's fur like cold wind. Jonas stood beside him, his torn balloon fabric rustling in the still cavern air. Karvė Marija mooed softly from the tunnel entrance, and Vilkas's ears flattened as he watched.
Mikutis's paws felt heavy. The shadow had demanded a choice: a memory of flight, a dream of the sky, or a promise never to fly again. He thought of the star cat, the first guardian, and the golden thread stitching the sky crack. He thought of his own secret dream—the one he had whispered to the being of light in the starry realm. That dream had been offered once, but he had kept it close ever since.
He stepped forward. "I offer my dream of flying."
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