The chamber lights still flickered faintly from the Ark's awakening. Dust and smoke lingered where the guardians had fallen, their broken shells scattered like warning markers.
But the crew had little time to dwell.
Jonas sat cross-legged near the wall, disassembling his rifle piece by piece. "If we're going underground, I'm not walking in with a jammed barrel." His voice was steady, but his hands moved faster than usual, betraying unease.
Mara sharpened her blade against a fragment of guardian metal, sparks flickering with each drag. "We don't know what's waiting down there. If it's worse than what we've already seen, steel won't be enough."
Selene stood in silence, eyes closed, murmuring incantations under her breath. Threads of pale fire coiled around her staff, binding themselves tighter. She opened her eyes slowly. "Whatever dwells beneath this crust has been hidden for eons. Such things are not bound by mortal steel. They are bound by will."
Liora busied herself adjusting the seals on her suit, her hands still trembling faintly from awakening the Ark. "If we're walking into more… visions, echoes, or worse, then someone has to anchor us. I'll stay close to Eris."
Her eyes flicked to him. He stood near the crystal, silent, staring at his hands as faint trails of silver light danced across his skin.
Eris's voice was low when he finally spoke. "The Ark says the descent won't just test us physically. It will test our minds. It said… we'll see what we fear most."
Jonas groaned. "Great. So it's not enough we've got robot nightmares. Now we're dragging our personal demons along too."
Mara glanced at Eris sharply. "And what about you? You've already got enough inside you to break a planet. What happens if this 'test' pushes you too far?"
Eris met her gaze, his eyes faintly glowing. "Then you pull me back. No matter what it takes."
The silence that followed was heavy. Then, slowly, Mara nodded. "Alright. But don't make me regret it."
Selene finally turned, staff glowing. "We leave at dawn. The Ark has revealed the access point beneath this chamber. Once we enter, there's no guarantee we can return until the path is complete."
Jonas slammed his rifle back together with a snap. "Guess that means I'll sleep with one eye open tonight."
Liora smiled faintly, though exhaustion lined her face. "You'd better sleep with both. We'll need your trigger steady tomorrow."
The faint hum of the Ark deepened, echoing through the walls.
"Prepare well, Descendant and companions. The descent is not a journey… it is a reckoning."
Eris inhaled slowly, the silver lines across his arms pulsing faintly. He turned to the group. "Then tomorrow, we face it. Together."
And for a brief, fragile moment, there was unity in the chamber.