We’ve lost so much. She didn’t know why it was the first thought to go through her mind, but it was true. Remember the purpose of the ritual.

The purpose of the ritual? But—it was just the unbelievably kewl thing that everyone did whose birthday fell on this one special day. The day the planets were perfectly aligned, the constellations conjoined, the stars exactly right. It had something to do with the Souldark, but nobody was alive who’d seen the last one; it was probably just a myth.

Remember.

And she saw it as if she was there. The day of conjunction, when the Souldark could breach the dimensional wall to wreak havoc upon the world. The race’s true meaning—only the one with the strength of will to win would have the strength of will to harness the lifeforce of the people into the Soulsong to drive it away. The Souldark vanquished and weakened at last, driven away to lick its wounds in the space behind the stars. All this had been forgotten…

Is this racial memory? Sara wondered.

Yes.