I checked the charm and the numbers jittered but then they held steady.
[Alma — HIBERNATE 26% Integrity]
[Anchor Load 81%]
[Door pressure high]
Alma breathed slowly in my head. "Hold still..Do not let it taste me."
I pressed the charm to the floor until the metal cooled and the pull faded to a steady drag then the arch stayed bright. The mist inside moved as if something paced.
Selendra stepped back to us… She kept a careful distance from Rhea's sword. "This is not random…You woke the doors when you entered…One of my sisters felt the signal and She wants to pull your kernel through and feed on it."
Vesper squinted at the mist. "Can she cross to us."
"Not without help," Selendra said. "She needs consent, a crack or a fool who steps close."
Rhea's jaw set. "He will not consent,we will not step close and you will keep your sisters out."
Selendra smiled. "I can slow them though I cannot bind every door at once. This cave is wide and some arches answer to me but others answer to older rules."
Vesper flicked dust from her fingers. "Buy us time, we'll pay."
Selendra's tail drew a small curve. "One answer and one favor later…" That was the offer.
"No favors," Rhea said.
"Then one answer," Selendra said. She nodded at my chest. "Who is she."
"My system," I said. "Her name is Alma…She is not only code…she is a person."
Selendra's eyes softened for a moment. "A living system… I thought your kind were gone from this valley." She looked at the arch again. "That explains the hunger."
The wind faded to a steady push and the glow held on…The cave settled enough for us to stand.
Rhea pulled me to my feet. "We move deeper…away from this arch."
Selendra shook her head. "The arches are spread through the cave…deeper means more doors. Some are sealed,some are sleeping. The ones that are awake will pull again if you pass them..better to sit still and let me push back."
Rhea did not like that plan but she did not argue. She weighed every wall and every exit with her eyes and then she nodded. "We'll sit,Eiji stays on the floor,we do short watches and you hold the doors."
Selendra gave a small bow. "Agreed."
We set a small camp on the stone shelf. No fire..The cave gave a low red glow that was enough. Vesper refreshed her wards and Rhea checked every shadow. I stayed on my back with the charm pressed to the floor…The heat flowed out and my breath calmed.
Alma's hum evened,She did not speak again and the number rose by one.
[27%]
Selendra sat on a low rock a few steps away..Her tail curled around her ankles. She watched the arches without blinking. I watched her watch them.
Rhea did not sit,She stayed on her feet with the sword loose in her hand. "If any door opens more than a hand, I cut the top stones and drop the arch."
Selendra did not look away. "If you drop an arch, the pressure will jump to the next and You will trade one pull for three."
"Then we cut a path out," Rhea said. "We will not be caged."
Vesper lay back and closed one eye. "Use me if you need more anchors," she said. "This place favors me and my rings can bite the stone."
I tried to rest but it did not come. The arch hummed and the air pulled. The floor shook in small beats under my shoulder blade and I counted breaths until they steadied.
Selendra spoke after a long silence. "The tail scares you."
I blinked. "What."
"You keep looking at it," she said. "You think it will snare you if you blink."
"It already did once," Rhea said. "Keep it away."
Selendra hid a smile and set her tail flat behind her. The spade tip twitched once, then stopped.
She pointed at a smaller arch on the far side. "That one leads to a market where you can get food, knives, lies. If you must use a door, pick that. Do not buy on credit and do not eat if you do not see the cook."
Vesper opened both eyes. "Noted."
Selendra pointed to a narrow crack with cold air. "That is not a door. That is a vent. It will take smoke out and sound travels up there…Keep your voices down."
Rhea nodded. "Good."
Another arch flickered on the right wall. The hum rose again. The pull dragged and I slid a hand and pressed harder. Vesper threw a flat bone to the floor. It broke. The drag stopped.
"Talk to me," Rhea said. She looked down at the charm. "Can she hear?"
"She hears a little," I said. "She is weak."
Rhea leaned close. She lowered her voice. "Alma.. Rest…We will handle this."
No answer but the number held.
Selendra watched our faces in turn. "You three are a strange set. Soldier,Witch and Host. I have seen pairs of these walk through but I have not seen all three together."
Rhea did not bite and Vesper muttered something about three legs and balance and I looked at the floor.
Selendra's voice softened. "I am not your enemy but My world runs on rules. The doors test strangers and my sisters test more. But there are lines,if you keep your word, I can keep mine."
Rhea raised an eyebrow. "What is your word?"
"I will keep the doors from dragging you in while you rest," Selendra said. "I will not trick you into a step. If I ask for a price, I will say it plainly. If you choose to leave by stone instead of any door, I will not stop you."
Rhea held her gaze for three long breaths. "Good."
Minutes passed and the arch dimmed. The wind slowed and the cave began to feel heavy. Rhea let me sit up,my back ached,my hands were raw. I took a sip of water and forced myself to swallow.
Vesper rolled up on an elbow. "Tell me about the sisters," she said to Selendra. "If we step, I would rather not meet a queen with a taste for rare toys."
Selendra's mouth curved. "There are many… Some are merchants,Some are hunters,Some are bored,The one who pulled just now is a collector. She takes bright things and holds them until they dim."
"What does she do with them," I asked.
"She keeps them," Selendra said. "She does not break them,she does not free them either ,She likes the idea that they are hers."
Rhea's grip tightened on her sword. "We will not meet her."
Selendra nodded. "A clean choice."
The air cooled and the glow along the walls settled. The biggest arch dimmed a step and I let my jacket cushion the charm and lay on my side and let my eyes close for a while.
I woke to Selendra's tail tapping my boot. "get up," she said. "The doors are whispering again."