The chamber hummed with a low vibration, like the steady toll of a bell struck somewhere deep inside the planet. The arch loomed above them, its surface etched with alien sigils that glowed brighter with every tremor in the ground.
Eris knelt at its base, his silver aura flaring wildly. The gate responded, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Every surge of light tore another gasp from him.
Selene pressed her palm against the stone. Her face went pale. "This isn't just a construct. It's alive. The gate is waiting for him."
Jonas cursed under his breath, slamming a fresh cartridge into his rifle. "Alive or not, we've got bigger problems."
The fissure behind them split wider with a deafening crack. From the dark tunnel came the molten glow of their pursuers. Guardians forced their way through, obsidian armor grinding against stone as they shoved forward. The air filled with their chorus of voices:
"Descendant. Descendant. Give us what is ours."
Mara twirled her blades, jaw set. "We can't outrun them. Not anymore."
Liora aimed her bow at the gap, her hands steady despite the tremor in the floor. "Then we choose. Do we die here—or risk whatever waits beyond that gate?"
The first guardian's blade thrust through the fissure wall, spraying shards of rock across the chamber. The arch shuddered in response, flaring so brightly that the entire chamber lit like day.
Eris gasped, his eyes wide. For the first time since Mars had begun calling to him, he felt a sense of release—like the gate was offering not just escape, but purpose.
Selene saw it too. She turned sharply to the others. "The gate won't open for me. Not for you. It will open for him—and only him. If we want to survive, he has to lead us through."
The guardians poured into the chamber, their molten eyes fixed on Eris. Their roar shook the cavern:
"The Heart is ours!"
The ground gave way.
Jonas shouted, "We're out of time!"
Eris staggered to his feet, clutching his chest. With shaking hands, he pressed his palm to the arch. Silver light surged from him into the stone, and the gate split open with a sound like worlds breaking apart.
Beyond the arch stretched not more stone, but a horizon of stars—an endless expanse shimmering with rivers of light.
Mara blinked, stunned. "That's… not Mars."
Selene's voice was hushed. "It's a passage. To somewhere older. Somewhere deeper."
The guardians charged, their blades raised.
Eris turned back to his companions, silver light burning in his eyes. "We go now—or we don't go at all."
With no more time to think, the group plunged into the unknown.
The last thing they heard as the gate swallowed them whole was the furious roar of the guardians—and then silence.