Location: Theron's Cave → Dark Forest Boundary | Doha (Lower Realm)
Time: Day 367, Dawn
Dawn light crept through the cave entrance like a cautious scout, painting the stone walls in shades of gold and amber. Jayde stood at the threshold, one hand resting on the rough stone, the other checking her gear one final time.
Combat loadout optimal. Armor fitted, weapons secured, supplies sufficient for extended deployment. Emergency protocols confirmed. All systems nominal.
(Last time I stood here, I was running. Barefoot, bleeding, half-dead from exhaustion. The forest swallowed me whole, and I barely survived.)
She stepped into the morning light, boots—actual boots, not bare feet torn by roots and stone—crunching on fallen leaves. The air tasted different from inside the Pavilion's dimensional space. Real. Raw. Charged with essence that made her Crucible Core hum in recognition.
