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"No, I beg you," said Kleyphon aloud, in a tone of supplication, still massaging his throat, still looking away from us, making a face of pain. He took a hand to his heart and bowed until he was kneeling and with his head down, as if he were making a bow, or a prayer, but I knew it was just a gesture of intense pain. Next to me, Zylah repeated the movement, gasping deeply and falling on her knees. She did not emit a sound of pain, but it was clear in her expression. Kleyphon raised his head, looking directly at her, and even though my friend was not watching the archangel who had just aroused the wrath of her Creator, he said to her: "I don't want to.

Miguel took a step back, pulling us together. I picked up Zylah before taking a few more steps back. Suddenly, the temperature in the bar seemed to drop to the point that I could easily convince myself that we were in an entirely frozen and lonely cave. The sounds stopped and it took me a long time to realize that humans were all watchin