Still, the angel offered no response, only its cold, merciless stare.
Vellok's voice rose, his despair turning to a frantic plea. "Take me! Take my life! But please, spare my people. Spare our world!" He looked directly into the angel's eyes, a final, desperate offering. "My life for theirs. It's all I have left."
Vellok's desperate plea hung in the silent, star-filled space between them. "My life for theirs," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper, the last vestiges of his pride and power now gone. Still, the angel remained motionless, its gaze fixed on him with a chilling indifference.
