Soren stood at the water's edge, and for the first time since finding Eris in that temple, he allowed himself to feel the full weight of his fear.
Because this had to work.
Had to.
There was no backup plan. No alternative. No world where he walked out of this cave without her alive and whole and his.
He looked down at the woman in his arms, unconscious, burning, dying by degrees, and made a promise to whatever gods might be listening.
He would not lose her.
Then he stepped into the water.
The moment his skin touched the surface, everything changed.
The glow intensified immediately, spreading from the point of contact like ripples made of light rather than disturbance. But it wasn't just visual, it was tactile, a sensation that bypassed nerves entirely and spoke directly to whatever part of him was winter made flesh.
The water recognized him.
Knew him.
And more than that, it welcomed him.
