They stood before Sentinel, bodies bruised, clothes torn, blood dried into the fabric clinging to their skin. And yet, they were still standing. Barely, but standing. The old warrior's gaze moved over them slowly, as if measuring something far deeper than wounds.

  There was no judgment in his eyes, only a quiet recognition. He saw the burden in their shoulders, the lingering defiance in their stares. And for a fleeting moment, something shifted in his face. A flicker of memory. A shadow of battles long past.

  "You've done far more than I expected," he said, voice deep and measured.

  The group blinked in unison, stunned. Aiden tilted his head, as if trying to make sense of what he'd just heard. Thorne blinked, lips parting in surprise. Alice shifted, spine going rigid. Lyric's brows lifted, eyes narrowing in disbelief. Even Elias furrowed his brow, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Not one of them had expected that.

  Sentinel continued, his voice steady. "We watched from here. You fought with everything you had. You held your ground against something far beyond your current strength. And somehow... you endured. You survived."

  Cassandra, silent beside Elias, let her shoulders ease just slightly. She knew what that acknowledgment meant.

  But then...

  "And still," Sentinel said, eyes narrowing slightly, "it wasn't enough."

  Silence snapped around them like a wire pulled tight.

  Elias took a step forward, his voice cutting into the stillness. "We nearly died down there!" he said, motioning toward the others. "We gave everything. We bled for this. And it still isn't enough for you?"

  The others bristled, but said nothing. Their stances echoed the same thought: exhaustion, frustration, disbelief.

  Cassandra's eyes didn't leave the wreckage below. She didn't argue. Didn't defend. Her silence was the kind that said she understood. She had seen the cost. And more importantly... she knew Sentinel was right.

  Sentinel held Elias's gaze. A storm behind his eyes. And in the silence, Vaelthar voice stirred, deep and reptilian. He's already stepping into the space you once held.

  Sentinel gave the smallest of nods.

  Then, he turned slightly, gesturing behind them with a flick of his hand.

  "Look."

  One by one, they turned.

  Below them, the mall lay in ruin. Silent, as if the building itself was holding its breath. Not a single voice called out. Not a cry. Not a groan. Just stillness.

  Smoke rose in thin, bitter threads from shattered beams. Cracks spiderwebbed across bloodstained tiles like veins under pale skin. The air hung heavy, thick with ash and the iron tang of burnt flesh.

  Vampires were strewn across the floor. Some unmoving, broken beyond recognition. Others barely clung to life, unconscious or too wounded to stir. And in scattered places, there was no body at all. Only the fine, grey remnants of those turned to ash by the demon's lightning-forged lasso.

  What was once a place of ordinary life, of laughter, errands, and everyday moments, had become a graveyard.

  Lives had ended in seconds. Families shattered.

  And still, no sound. No movement. Only the consequences.

  Alice moved first, her steps slow, as if afraid the ground might give beneath her. She stopped at the railing, eyes wide, then slowly shook her head.

  "Gods," she breathed, the word barely a sound. "They were just... shopping."

  Her voice caught in her throat.

  Lyric stood beside her. She didn't speak. Just stared. One hand lifted to her mouth, trembling. Her eyes glistened as she looked down at a child's sneaker lying alone beside a blackened scorch mark.

  Thorne let out a low breath. No sarcasm. No quips. Just a whisper of regret.

  "We fought. But we ran too." His eyes stayed locked on the ruin. "We left this behind."

  In Thorne's chest, Pyrix stirred, his presence pressing gently at the edge of Thorne's thoughts. Not with judgment, but with a truth that settled like cooled iron.

  We gave everything we had. And still... it wasn't enough. Sentinel warned us again and again. We didn't listen. We thought surviving would be victory. But this...This is what happens when survival costs too much.

  Thorne's jaw tightened. His fists curled slowly at his sides, nails biting into his palms. He didn't answer. Not aloud. Not in thought.

  He just kept staring , at the ruins, the silence, the consequences.

  Aiden's hands were shaking. He stared at the floor as if it might answer for him. His voice came raw. "It's because of me."

  No one interrupted.

  "If me and Fenrik had stayed... if we'd fought instead of—" He stopped, jaw tightening. "Some of them might still be alive."

  Inside, Fenrik didn't speak. But Aiden could feel it, shame coiled tight in his chest like a second heartbeat.

  Elias stepped forward, his boots planting firm on the cracked concrete.

  "No," he said, steady. "It wasn't just you."

  He turned to the others, voice low but unflinching. "We were all scared. We all ran. Doesn't matter how hard we fought before or after. We weren't ready."

  He looked out over the ruins again, jaw tight.

  "But blaming each other..." His voice trailed off. He shook his head. "That won't bring them back."

  A breathless pause followed. Even the air seemed reluctant to move.

  Then, from behind them, came a voice like the crack of worn stone under pressure, quiet, weighty and unshakable.

  "No," Sentinel said, stepping into view. "It won't."

  They turned toward him.

  He didn't raise his voice. He didn't have to. His presence settled over them like the silence after thunder, calm, but still echoing. "And neither will guilt. Or blame. Or pretending survival is enough."

  His eyes swept past them, down to the blood-smeared floor below.

  "This is what happens when you survive too late."

  No accusations in his tone. Just truth, carved flat and clean.

  His gaze returned to them. Not their wounds, he saw those, but something deeper, the hollow in their chests, the disbelief in their eyes. Lyric's arms hugged tight around her ribs. Alice wouldn't look up. Thorne's hand flexed and stilled again. Aiden stood frozen, breath shallow. Elias locked his jaw, holding firm for the others' sake.

  Sentinel stepped closer. "You weren't ready," he said. "None of you. You were dropped in the middle of something unknown and merciless. And the world?" He glanced toward the wreckage. "It doesn't wait for you to figure it out."

  Alice looked away, blinking fast. Lyric bit her lip, shoulders trembling. Thorne's hands fell to his sides, limp.

  "You showed courage," Sentinel continued. "But courage without control is just fire in the wrong hands. And power, without understanding, breaks more than it saves."

  He looked at each of them in turn.

  "You're still learning," he said. "But people out there are dying while you do. That's the weight you carry. Not because it's fair. But because it's real."

  He let that truth hang, heavy and unrelenting.

  Then, with a motion toward the ruined stretch of mall below, he added, "This... This is what I warned you about. Again and again. This is what I meant when I said your failures won’t just scar you anymore."

  His voice didn’t raise, but it sharpened.

  "They cost lives. Thousands. You saw it. All of them down there—yes, they were vampires. But they weren’t soldiers. They were shopkeepers. Parents. Kids. Just people trying to live. And they burned for it."

  He let the words land, the silence that followed more damning than any shout.

  "You fought hard today," he said. "But it wasn’t enough. And after this... it will only get harder to earn their trust again."

  He stepped forward, letting the ruined space echo with the sharpness of his words.

  "Because you’re still the Chosen Ones, not yet the Protectors they need. Not yet the ones they can believe in."

  His gaze swept over them — not angry, but unwavering.

  "And like those who died today, every soul on Zephyros who can't lift a blade depends on you. Their future hinges on whether you rise when it counts."

  He let that truth burn for a breath.

  "This was only the first blow. The warning. The opening move."

  He turned slightly, facing the broken skyline.

  "And that creature you fought?" His voice dropped. "That wasn’t the end. That was just the door creaking open."

  Another pause. This one felt heavier. Final.

  "The next time you're not fast enough, not ready... there might be no one left to mourn."

  He let that settle. And then, softer now, not kinder, but more certain. "But the day will come… the day on Zephyros when every soul will look to you, believe in you, trust that you’ll save them."

  A beat passed.

  "And that will be the day you stop becoming, and finally are... the true Protectors of Zephyros."

  Elias exhaled, the sound torn from his chest. His voice came a second later, cracked, but sure.

  "Then we keep going. Next time..." He stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with Sentinel, eyes locked on the wreckage. "...we won't run."

  "We’ll stand." His voice was steel now. "And we’ll make damn sure this never happens again."

  Alice wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and nodded.

  Lyric straightened her spine, blinking hard.

  Thorne said nothing, but the tension in his jaw eased. Just a little.

  Aiden looked down at his palms. Bloodied. Burned. Then he raised his head and faced the wreckage again. And nodded.

  A beat passed in silence. Then soft footsteps broke it.

  Cassandra stepped forward, her expression steady. Calm, but not cold. Her voice cut through the quiet like a blade through fog.

  "If you mean that," she said, "then you'll need to train harder than you ever have. Push past what you think you are. Learn to trust yourselves, and each other."

  She looked at each of them, her eyes fierce and unflinching.

  "And most importantly... burn the lies you've believed all your life. The ones that said you were weak. That you didn't belong. That you'd never be enough."

  She let the words hang there for a beat before finishing, voice firm. "Because those lies won't just get you killed. They'll get everyone else killed, too."

  She crossed her arms, eyes rising to the wreckage still smoldering below.

  "This was just the beginning. The first strike. We don't know when the next one will come. Or what it'll bring with it."

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The group fell silent, each of them staring down at the smoldering ruins below, the weight of what they'd just witnessed settling heavily in their bones. The devastation felt endless, a reminder that their world had been irrevocably altered. The first blow had been struck, and it wasn't the real war.

  No one moved for a long moment. Then, as if something snapped in Elias' mind, he broke the silence. His voice was quiet, but there was a hard edge to it as he stepped forward, brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the destruction.

  "I want to ask something," he said, his voice low but laced with urgency. "That thing down there... it wasn't like any invader we've ever read about. Not like what we've been heard."

  Thorne scratched the back of his head, brow furrowed. "Yeah. It was different. Way different. So where the hell do you think it came from?"

  Cassandra's jaw tensed.

  "I've studied every known record," she said, her tone tinged with frustration. "I've read about almost every type of creature from the Five Worlds. I've heard the stories, seen sketches of them... but that? I've never seen anything like that. Not even close."

  Alice's brows drew together. "Wait, what are you saying? If it didn't come from one of the Five Worlds... then where did it come from?"

  Cassandra hesitated and then, slowly, looked toward Sentinel. Her expression flickered, just for a second. Worry.

  Sentinel met her gaze, then turned to face the five, voice low and steady.

  "There are only two places left to consider," he said. "Aeridorn... or Terranova."

  Their reaction was instant.

  "What!" the five said in unison, almost recoiling.

  Elias took a sharp step forward, staring at Cassandra. "You told us... you told us those two worlds have never attacked Zephyros. Never once in recorded history. Why would they start now?"

  Cassandra's voice was quiet but firm. "I said they haven't. I didn't say they couldn't."

  She looked out over the ruins again. "We don't know for certain where that thing came from. It's a guess, a dangerous one, maybe even wrong. But that's what we're dealing with now. Unknowns."

  Thorne's voice cut in, sharp and skeptical. "So what now? You're saying it might be from Aeridorn, or maybe Terranova? Or maybe it's not from either? That's not exactly helpful."

  Sentinel nodded once. "It's also possible it did come from one of the Five Worlds. Just not a kind we've seen before. We know their armies, their warriors. We don't know every species hiding in their shadows."

  Aiden stepped forward, tension rippling through his frame.

  "So let me get this straight," he said, voice rising. "You're throwing darts in the dark, and telling us to charge into battles we don't even understand? Against enemies we've never seen? That we might not even be able to stop?"

  Cassandra didn't flinch. She stepped toward him, voice cutting clean and hard.

  "It doesn't matter what's coming. What matters is whether you're ready."

  She looked at all five of them.

  Cassandra's voice rang with finality. "Forget what's out there for now. Focus on your training. Build trust. Make yourselves and each other stronger. That's how you'll survive. That's how you'll protect Zephyros."

  She paused, breathing steady.

  "And when you do that, when you truly trust each other, you'll always find a way. Just like you did today."

  Then her voice drifted slightly, like her mind had just snagged on something.

  Her eyes narrowed. "Speaking of that..."

  She tilted her head, curious now. "How did you know stabbing the demon with its own weapon would work?"

  Thorne blinked, caught off guard. "...Wait."

  Alice's brows drew tight. "Oh gods."

  Lyric's hand flew to her mouth. "We forgot."

  Elias swore under his breath. "The boy."

  They turned toward each other, a collective jolt of realization sparking between them.

  Thorne's voice came, tight with disbelief. "Shit. How the hell did we forget him? He's the reason we even had a chance against that thing."

  Cassandra's gaze sharpened. "Who are you talking about?"

  "The human kid," Lyric said, stepping forward quickly, eyes wide. "He was on the ground floor, inside one of the clothing stores near the collapsed stairwell. We met him there. He stopped us. Told us about the weapon."

  Alice nodded, words spilling fast. "He said only the demon's own blade could kill it. That it was forged from the same essence. Said it could turn on its maker."

  "He said it was the only way," Thorne added, quieter now, his voice edged with guilt. "And the way he said it... he looked so sure. Like he knew it would work. No doubt at all."

  Elias dragged a hand through his hair, eyes distant. "And he was right. Everything he said... that's exactly how it happened."

  Behind them, Aiden turned, brow knit. "Wait—what boy?"

  The others froze. A silence pressed in, heavier now.

  Then Sentinel stepped forward. Slow. Controlled. Every movement deliberate.

  His face didn't show anger, but something in the stillness of his gaze, the sharpness behind his eyes, said he was holding back the urge to move faster. To demand more than they could give.

  "What boy?" he asked, his voice low and clipped. "Who told you how to kill that invader?"

  No one answered.

  His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned each of them. "Was it someone you knew?"

  Lyric's head moved in a small, uncertain shake. "No... we'd never seen him before. He looked—" her voice caught for a second "—just a kid. Human. Young."

  Something shifted in Sentinel's stance. A barely perceptible tension locked into his shoulders. His jaw tightened, just enough to be noticed. He wasn't breathing normally anymore.

  Cassandra's eyes narrowed slightly, scanning each of their faces. "You're certain he was human?" Her tone was steady, but there was a trace of doubt beneath it. "Are you sure it wasn't some kind of illusion... or misunderstanding?"

  She looked between them, waiting for someone to admit they'd been wrong.

  Elias stepped forward, expression flat, voice dry. "Cass, I'm a vampire. I can smell a human before I see them. I don't make that kind of mistake."

  The weight of his certainty settled over the group. Cassandra didn't reply immediately, just turned her gaze back to Sentinel, her doubt shifting to concern.

  But Sentinel didn't speak, not yet. His gaze was locked, far away, like a storm forming behind his eyes. "A human?" he muttered, eyes narrowing. "In vampire territory... How is that even possible?"

  Cassandra stepped beside him, her arms crossing tightly, concern pinching her brows. "And how the hell would he know how to kill that thing?" Her voice was sharp, incredulous. "He shouldn't even know we exist. Humans don't know about us, not unless they're suicidal or... something else."

  Elias took a half-step forward, brows furrowed in thought. "He spoke like he'd been looking for us," he said. "Told us the demon could only be killed with its own weapon. Said it like it was obvious." He exhaled hard. "And he said... he'd seen us before. But there wasn't time. So we left him in the store."

  Thorne's jaw tightened. "We need to go back," he said, already moving toward the stairwell. "Find him. Ask who he is, how he knew all that, why he helped."

  But Sentinel didn't move.

  Vaelthar's voice came into his mind, steady and sharp. You're thinking it too. It could be him.

  Sentinel didn't respond right away. His breath caught, just a fraction, as something in him shifted.

  If it's really him... he answered silently, eyes narrowing. The one we've been tracking... the one we've been waiting for...

  His jaw tightened, gaze locked toward the stairwell. ...Then we can't afford to let him slip away now.

  "Sir?"

  Cassandra's voice pulled him back. She stepped closer, searching Sentinel's face.

  "Shouldn't we go?"

  Sentinel blinked. He realized the others were watching him, faces turned, confusion in their eyes. He'd gone still too long.

  He nodded once, sharp. "Yes. We go now."

  Everyone moved, adrenaline reigniting. But just as they started—

  "Wait," Alice said suddenly.

  They all turned.

  "What happened?" Lyric asked, her voice taut.

  Alice hesitated for a moment, her gaze darting away, then met their eyes. A heavy silence settled as all of them looked at her, waiting. She shifted uncomfortably before speaking, her voice low but firm. "We don’t need to go there."

  Cassandra’s expression hardened. "Why not?"

  Alice paused again, a flicker of something passing through her eyes before she spoke, her words cutting through the tension. "Because he won’t be there."

  Thorne frowned. "What? Elias told him to stay."

  "I told him to leave," Alice said.

  Silence. Heavy. Awkward.

  Sentinel turned fully to her now, eyes storm-dark. "You... told him to leave?" His tone wasn't raised, but the pressure behind it could crack stone.

  Alice nodded slowly, bracing herself. "Yes. I told him this place wasn't safe. If any vampire sensed what he was, or that he was human at all, he wouldn't have made it out alive."

  Sentinel exhaled through his nose. A muscle ticked in his jaw. His eyes weren't angry, they were troubled, the weight of too many questions crashing down at once.

  Cassandra stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his arm before looking at Alice. "You did what you thought was right," she said quietly. "But the question now is, how the hell are we going to find him now?"

  "We don't even know his name," Lyric said softly, frustration tightening her voice.

  "Or a single damn thing about him," Thorne added, rubbing the back of his neck. "For all we know, he vanished into thin air."

  Aiden crossed his arms, brows furrowed. "I still don't get it. He's just a human. He couldn't fight, didn't use magic, wasn't armed, what makes him so important?"

  Sentinel's gaze cut to him, voice cold and sharp. "He saved your lives. All of you. If he hadn't told you how to kill that invader, none of you would be standing here."

  A beat of silence. Then Sentinel turned to Alice. "But now we have no way to trace him."

  Alice stepped forward quietly. She unstrapped something from her wrist and held it out, a simple, worn wristwatch glinting in the low light.

  "We do have a way."

  Thorne blinked. "Wait. You're saying this wristwatch is how we're gonna find him?"

  He tilted his head slightly, tone half disbelief, half sarcasm. "What does it do, tick louder when we're close?"

  Alice rolled her eyes. "No. But it might let us find out where he is."

  Elias stepped closer, eyeing the watch, then Alice. "And how's that supposed to help us, exactly? Can we skip the riddles this time and just get to the point?"

  She met his stare, unflinching. "I took it from him. Before I told him to leave. I knew he wouldn't be safe if he stayed. My magic doesn't work, but I've studied enough tracking spells to know this can be used. And Cassandra’s magic..."

  She let the thought hang for a moment, a faint glimmer of confidence in her voice. "It should be more than enough to trace him."

  She turned, placing the watch in Cassandra's hand.

  Cassandra held the watch like it was something fragile, delicate, but important. Her fingers curled around it with care, reverence almost. She glanced at Alice, then slowly raised her eyes to the others.

  One by one, they turned to her.

  The tension shifted, like a string pulled taut. All of them waiting.

  Cassandra's expression didn't waver. Calm. Steady. A quiet confidence settled over her features as she gave a single nod.

  "Yes," she said. "I can find him with this. Wherever he is... I'll get us there."

  Alice exhaled, just slightly, a hint of relief, then smiled faintly. "I'm not clueless. The moment he spoke, I knew there was something different about him. The way he looked at us... it was like he already knew what we'd become."

  Her eyes lifted, gaze drifting out beyond the ruins and the smoke.

  "He knows more than he's saying. And if we're going to survive what's coming next... we're going to need him."

  Sentinel stepped forward, urgency sparking behind his eyes. His gaze flicked briefly to Cassandra, his voice sharp, cutting through the haze. "Then do whatever you need to do. Find him. Now."

  Everyone turned to look at him.

  Their gazes lingered, surprised, uncertain. There was something in his tone that didn't match his usual calm. Something personal. Urgent.

  Thorne's eyes narrowed slightly. Elias tilted his head. Lyric's lips parted as if to ask a question, but didn't.

  Even Aiden looked up, frowning. Why was he so eager? What was he not telling them?

  Before any of them could speak, Cassandra's voice broke in, even and composed. "Sir... I will. But not here. Not yet."

  She stepped forward, holding the watch gently, like it might crumble under too much force. "First, we need to return to the Luminaries Sanctum."

  Her eyes moved to the others, bloodied, bruised and barely standing despite their supernatural resilience.

  "They've fought hard. Their bodies will heal fast, but that doesn't mean they're unbreakable. They need rest. Real healing. And focus. Without it, whatever we find next might destroy us before we even begin."

  Then she looked down at the watch again, her voice quieter but resolute.

  "And to track him, I need to cast a spell. For that, I’ll need supplies, components I don’t have here. Potions, runes... things stored at the Sanctum."

  She met Sentinel's gaze, unwavering.

  "Let me get what I need. Let them breathe. And then I promise, I'll find him."

  A stillness followed her words.

  Inside Sentinel's mind, Vaelthar's voice stirred, calm and firm, no grandeur, no ceremony, just the weight of shared understanding. She's right. We can't ignore what they've just endured. They fought hard... and they're bleeding. Let them rest. We have a thread now, a clue. With Cassandra's magic, we'll find him.

  A pause, like a breath taken in the dark.

  Then... we'll see if he truly is the one we've been searching for. But first, the Sanctum.

  Sentinel's jaw flexed.

  Then he gave a single nod, tension still clinging to his frame.

  "All right," he said, his voice low. "Sanctum first. Then we find the boy."

  The five exchanged glances, tired, bruised, and suspicious. There was something unspoken, hanging in the space between Sentinel's eagerness and Cassandra's calm resolve.

  Elias broke the silence, his gaze shifting from Cassandra to Sentinel, then down to the wounded vampires scattered among the rubble. "What about them?" he asked, voice low. "We can’t just leave them here like this."

  Sentinel gave a slight nod, eyes steady. "I’ve already sent word. Help is on the way, they’ll be treated."

  A beat passed. Thorne let out a slow breath, dragging a hand through his tangled hair.

  "Alright… then they’re in good hands. Let’s move before we drop where we stand." He flexed his fingers, wincing at the dried blood. "Some rest. Some food. And—" he lifted his hands with a tired half-smile "—a healer wouldn’t hurt either."

  He turned toward the mall’s cracked stairwell. The others followed, slow and aching.

  Aiden muttered, "I'm not gonna lie. If I sit down somewhere and don't get up for three days, I won't complain."

  Lyric gave a half-limping nod. "Seconded."

  Elias huffed. "Fine. As long as there's somewhere to sit that isn’t covered in ash or blood, I’m in."

  But Sentinel and Cassandra didn't move.

  "Where do you think you're going?" Cassandra called.

  Thorne paused mid-step and turned his head. "Uh... to the stairs. Out of this broken mall. So we can grab a ride and get the hell back."

  Cassandra raised a brow, smirking faintly. "And you really think you're in the mood to travel fourteen, maybe fifteen hours like this?"

  Thorne blinked. "Wait. What? No way. I didn’t think we were that far from the Sanctum."

  "You are," Aiden muttered, rubbing his shoulder with a wince. "And I’m not about to hike across half the continent. Cass, we need a break. A bed. A floor. I’ll take anything that doesn’t bite."

  Lyric nodded slowly, glancing between them. “We’re kind of falling apart here.”

  Sentinel finally spoke, voice steady. “Who said anything about traveling by road?”

  The group froze. Turned. Stared.

  Lyric tilted her head, brows lifting. “Unless you’ve got a magical carriage buried under the rubble, I’m not seeing many other options.”

  Cassandra gave a soft chuckle. “No carriage.”

  Elias frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay… then how exactly are we supposed to get back? Because I’d really rather not pass out halfway up a mountain.”

  “We’re not walking,” Sentinel said calmly. “Because the way back… is already with you.”

  They blinked at him, confused.

  His gaze dropped toward their chests. "Look at your necks."

  Five pairs of eyes followed.

  "...The pendants?" Alice asked, touching hers with slow realization.

  Aiden squinted. "Wait... these things? You're saying they can teleport us?"

  Sentinel nodded. “They’re not just pendants. They were forged by the Eclipse Heart when it chose you during the ceremony. That moment wasn’t symbolic... it was real. From then on, you were connected. To the Sanctum. To each other. And to the Eclipse Gates.”

  Cassandra stepped in, her voice steady. “The Eclipse Gates, the pendants, the Sanctum itself... they're all linked through the Eclipse Heart. Everything born from it is part of the same current. The Gates respond to that connection.”

  Elias blinked, incredulous. “So why are we just hearing about this now?”

  “You weren’t ready,” Cassandra said. “You needed to earn that bond, to channel through your pendant in the field. Now that connection is strong enough. It will guide you.”

  Thorne gave a low whistle, shaking his head. “So all this time, we’ve been limping around like broken animals, and we’ve had a direct line home hanging around our necks?”

  Sentinel’s gaze didn’t waver. “It’s not just a shortcut. It’s a key. And a key only works if the lock knows you.”

  Elias exhaled sharply. “Alright. Then how do we use it?”

  Cassandra looked at each of them. “Intent. Focus. Picture the Sanctum. Let the Eclipse Heart feel that pull through your pendant. If your connection is strong enough, any of you can call the Gates through your connection. And when you’re ready… say ‘Eclipsion’.”

  A brief silence followed as the five exchanged looks.

  Aiden stepped back slightly, holding up a hand. "No, I'm not going through that again. Last time it felt like my lungs got yanked inside out."

  Thorne winced. "Yeah, he's right. We were all gasping like dying fish when we landed. Pretty sure I saw Lyric trying to breathe through her ears."

  Lyric shot him a look. "I was trying to stay conscious, thank you very much."

  Cassandra smirked faintly. "Then feel free to ride back to the Sanctum. Fourteen hours. Maybe more. In your condition?"

  Elias sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Well... when you put it like that, the gates don't sound so bad."

  He looked at the others, then at his pendant. "We don't really have a choice. Let's just hope the second trip doesn't rearrange our organs."

  A beat passed.

  Then Thorne muttered, "Great. Death by magical necklace. What a way to go."