The glow of the pool faded behind them as the group made their way out of the cavern. Their footsteps echoed against stone that seemed older than time, their torches casting thin blades of light through the dark.
No one spoke at first.
Mara kept stealing glances at Eris, watching the faint shimmer that now pulsed under his skin with every heartbeat. Jonas walked ahead with his rifle slung, but the set of his shoulders was tight, as if waiting for something to leap from the shadows. Selene moved silently, though her eyes flicked constantly toward every shifting shadow on the walls. And Liora, bringing up the rear, traced sigils in the air with her fingers—wards against whatever still lingered in the cavern.
Finally, Mara broke the silence. "What did she show you, Eris?"
Eris's jaw clenched. He looked down at his hands, still faintly glowing. "Too much."
"That's not an answer," Jonas muttered, not bothering to turn.
"It's all I can give you," Eris replied sharply, then softened his tone. "Not because I won't… but because I can't. Not yet."
Selene narrowed her eyes. "So we follow you blind?"
Eris stopped walking. The group froze behind him. His voice was low but steady when he spoke. "You think I asked for this? You think I want this thing in my chest? She didn't give me a weapon—she gave me truth. And truth doesn't make the path clearer… it makes it heavier."
For a moment, only the sound of dripping water filled the cavern.
Mara stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. "Then let us carry it with you. That's all we can do."
The faintest ghost of a smile touched his lips. "You don't know what you're offering."
"Doesn't matter," Mara said firmly. "We already chose."
Jonas grunted, shifting his rifle. "Fine. But if the truth you saw gets us killed, don't expect me to smile about it."
Selene shot him a glare but said nothing.
They continued on, the air growing lighter as the tunnel widened. Ahead, faint light spilled in—a crack of day.
When they finally stepped outside, the sky over Mars stretched vast and crimson, the horizon sharp and endless. But something was different. The wind carried a tremor, almost imperceptible, and in the distance, a plume of dust rose where no dust storm had been before.
Liora's face went pale. "The planet… it's shifting again."
Eris closed his eyes, feeling the thrum of the Heart deep beneath the crust. It pulsed faster now, as though it had been waiting for him.
The Veiled One's last words echoed in his skull: Clarity is the sharpest weapon. Do not forget.
He opened his eyes, fire dancing faintly within them.
"This world won't let us leave so easily."