The mist had thinned by the time they stumbled through the last broken archway.
Kazi leaned heavily against a crumbling pillar, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Every step felt like dragging dead weight. Her ribs ached with every inhale, her muscles screamed in protest, but she forced herself to stay upright.
Dakarai wasn't much better off. His Volt Mark flickered weakly beneath his torn sleeve, the light sputtering like a dying star. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring into the distance as if sheer anger alone could summon Luma back for a rematch.
But she was long gone.
And Rhazir… Rhazir walked ahead of them without a scratch.
No blood. No limp. Not even a tear in his coat.
Kazi's hands curled into fists at her sides.
He didn't look back to check on them. He didn't offer a word of comfort. He simply led them forward, deeper into the cracked ruins of the resonance pocket, as if they were still useful pieces in whatever game he was playing.
Kazi exchanged a glance with Dakarai, seeing the same unspoken question burning behind his eyes.
Can we still trust him?
Neither of them said it aloud.
They followed in silence, the ruins whispering around them like broken echoes of battles and betrayals that had long since passed into memory.
Finally, they emerged into a clearing where the fractured sky swirled slower, more lazily. A place where the ground seemed firmer, less likely to collapse underfoot.
Rhazir stopped at the center, turned, and faced them.
"We'll camp here," he said simply.
Kazi opened her mouth to argue, to demand answers, but Dakarai laid a hand on her arm, shaking his head subtly.
Not yet.
They needed to regain their strength first and get more clarity.
Later… they would try and ask the questions on their mind.
And if necessary, fight their way out.
The campfire crackled low between them, casting long, dancing shadows against the shattered walls.
Kazi sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders to fend off the cold that no fire could fully erase.
Across from her, Dakarai sharpened a broken piece of metal against a stone, his motions were mechanical and rhythmic. Sparks flicked from the metal piece each time he dragged it down.
Rhazir sat slightly apart, perched on a stone like a watchful raven, his eyes reflecting the firelight with an unsettling calm.
No one spoke for a long time.
Finally, Dakarai broke the silence.
"We can't beat her alone."
His voice was low, almost a growl.
Kazi lifted her head, meeting his gaze.
"No," she agreed.
They had tried throwing everything they had at Luma, using all their strength and everything they learned from training; and yet she had crushed them.
Even with their combo attacks, their teamwork honed over weeks of grueling practice, they had been nothing more than annoying fly's to her, the she swatted out of the air.
"We need more power," Dakarai said.
Kazi nodded slowly.
"And more allies."
She glanced sideways at Rhazir, whose expression remained unreadable.
"If we can find one of the others," she said carefully, "someone who's already resonated… someone strong… maybe we'll have a real chance."
Rhazir tilted his head slightly, almost amused by the thought.
"They're out there," he said. "But finding them won't be simple."
Dakarai scowled, his voice sharp. "We knew they existed. We just didn't know we'd be this desperate to reach them first."
Rhazir's smile was thin. "You're not the only ones seeking power. Bearers who awaken outside guidance rarely wait for permission to carve their own path."
Kazi's jaw tightened.
It wasn't about if they would find another Bearer now.
It was about when; and whether they'd find them before Luma did.
"We don't have time," she said. "Luma's not going to wait for us to get stronger. She's moving. She's gathering power."
"And if we sit still," Dakarai added, "we'll die."
The fire popped loudly, sending a spray of sparks into the air.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Rhazir stood.
"If you're serious," he said, "then we move at dawn."
He glanced at Kazi, and for just a fraction of a second, she thought she saw something in his eyes.
Approval?
Or something darker?
"We'll search for the next bearer," Rhazir said. "And if we're lucky… they'll join us."
"And if they don't?" Dakarai asked.
Rhazir smiled thinly.
"Then we make them."
The words sent a shiver down Kazi's spine.
She wasn't sure if it was his cold heartless response or the truth behind them.
That night, Kazi lay awake under a sky that didn't belong to any world she knew.
Her mind replayed every moment of the battle.
Every blow, scream and glance of betrayal flashing in Luma's hollow eyes.
She remembered the warmth they used to share. The dreams they had whispered into the dark.
Then she remembered just how easily Luma could have killed her.
Kazi closed her eyes and swore silently:
Next time, she wouldn't hesitate.
Next time, she will be ready.
Because if she wasn't…
She would not be able to save anyone.
Not even herself.