“You’ve been here before.”

The trickster gave a smile, opaque lenses glinting in the moonlight. There were no eyes behind those frames, no soul behind the face. Just a force, with a power to be used.

“I’m not here to waste time.” Lightbringer growled. He hugged his cloak tighter. “I need a cure for the boy. You have it.”

“I thought you had more respect for prophecy than that, my furry friend. The demon seed dormant in your child would make him an unstoppable. Trained right, he could end this all.”

The wolf paused a moment, eyeing Ronin while considering this. “No, he’s too young for that responsibility. He can’t make that choice.”

“And that’s choice you’d take from him?” Another pause. The trickster produced two vials from thin air. “Tell you what. Choose from these. One may be his cure, the other may not. Either way, you’re no longer at fault for the boy’s future.”

Tired of games, Lightbringer swiped one vial and turned. It didn’t matter which.

The trickster laughed, vanishing. “See you soon…”