“So, what you’re saying,” I start, my head spinning, “is that if the last fallen star gets into the Cave Bear Goddess’s hands and she destroys it, the six goddesses will be free to walk the Mortalrealm?”

Mr. Pyo nods solemnly. “Precisely.”

I breathe out, imagining what kind of chaos they might create. Would it mean six divine beings happily mixing and mingling with the saram over burgers at the local In-N-Out? Or six divine beings using mortals as their playthings and stubbing us out as they fancy? If what Mr. Pyo says is true, the latter seems more likely. Not to mention the potential devastation on the gifted way of life. The goddesses won’t need the clans to do their will on Earth any longer, so would they even let us keep our gifts?

“We can’t let that happen,” Austin declares. “That would be mayhem. If the goddesses came down, the world as we know it would end.”

Emmett nods. “We have to stop her. We need to stop the Cave Bear Goddess.”

“I think I know what we have to do,” I say, and everyone turns to me expectantly. “If the Cave Bear Goddess is possessing Gom bodies to do her business on Earth, she obviously needs us. So let’s disconnect her. Let’s sever her link to the Mortalrealm completely, so she can’t ever get her hands on the last fallen star.”

“You mean, like, unplug the Cave Bear Goddess from the Gom?” Taeyo asks.

“Exactly.” I turn to my parents and Auntie Okja. They’re definitely not going to like what I’m about to say. “That would mean losing our patron goddess and the Gom’s ability to channel her power. Do you think the clan would be willing to do that?”

Sora holds up her Gi-less wrist. “If it’s any consolation, we lost our patron goddess, and look at us now. We’re still committed to our clan motto, and we’re more powerful than ever. We don’t need the goddesses to do good works. Magic is all around us.”

Taeyo pipes up. “We can even help you unlock your own abilities.”

My parents and Auntie Okja hesitate. I can see the doubt in their eyes. This would fundamentally change the Gom way of life. They look at one another, and eventually Auntie Okja speaks. “Our clan motto is Service and Sacrifice. This is precisely the type of decision we were born to make.”

My heart beats proudly at their courage. They get it. This is what being a true Gom is all about.

“But how?” Emmett says, putting his hands on his hips. “How exactly do we unplug her?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. I think of the last two lines of the prophecy:

In the one last divine, a weapon shall rise;

Unless the gold-destroyer ends the soul who lies.