And we’re out

The light had come—soft at first, like breath caught in still air—then blooming, fierce and full, devouring the void with Vi’s power. Noah watched it in silence, heart pounding, throat tight. The rose had taken root. The island held steady. They had done it.

And now, it was time to go.

Noah pulled the compass from his coat, fingers brushing away dirt and blood. It was warm to the touch, ready to take him anywhere. He gave the others a nod, then thumbed the center. The world shifted. In the blink of an eye, the crushed tunnels of the island gave way to starlight and open air.

Noah landed on one knee in the soft grass of the Court of Stars. He didn’t wait. Legs shaking slightly, he stumbled to the edge of the healing fountain and plunged his hands into its glimmering waters. The coolness seeped into his skin, soothing the bruises, the cuts, the hollowness left by the webbing. His shoulders dropped. Breath came easier.

He bowed his head over the water, dripping and silent. They had saved something today. The rose had bloomed. Vi had answered. He waited for his comrades, knowing they’d be here within a breath.

the forsaken

Sah

There was relief that they had succeeded in the primary goal of their quest and slaid the guardian of that section. Yet, Sah couldn't shake his frustration over the wyrm's escape. They had all been well enough to continue the fight, but the damn snake had forced them to retreat. As the hybrid appeared via Hadama's magic near the fountain, a grim expression followed.

Walking over to join Noah, the Wild Thunder let out a heavy sigh as he splashed the enchanted water on his face. Running a soaked hand across the back of his neck, Sah let the remaining bruises heal. With a furrowed brow, he tightly gripped the edge of the fountain, knuckles turning white. "That damn, wyrm." The words were snarled more than spoken.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

After bringing Sah back to the Fountain Hadama had stood back, letting the hunter head to the water first. For the moment he simply breathed, drawing in untainted air and tilting his head to the open sky above the Court of Stars. In spite of the bruises and fresh gashes that still bled sluggishly he took a moment to stretch, deliberately raising his arms over his head and then slowly spreading them wide to let bunched muscles begin to release.

Only then did he join the other men, dipping his cupped hands into the waters and lifting them to slake his dust-covered throat. Letting the waters do their work and giving his worn and weary magic a chance to rest and recover. "Indeed," he rumbled, a quiet but intense agreement to Sah's snarl. "But we have confirmed what will draw it out. And what will not." Any frustration he felt at their retreat was buried deep as he drew his calm stoicism back around himself like armor. The armor he still wore, beginning to glimmer once more with starlight as Safrin's power returned to it, even if it was no longer needed.

Within a breath, the his friends arrived—each drawn to the fountain’s promise of respite. They moved without words, seeking the same quiet healing Noah had found moments before. He watched them from the edge, the hum of shared survival settling between them like mist.

Noah lifted his hands from the water, fingers clean and body returned to its full vigor. With a quiet exhale, he removed the mask from his face and passed it back to its maker. Salt hung in the air, sharp and grounding. He breathed it in, letting it anchor him.

“We’ll need bait,” he said, voice low but steady. His head tipped back, neck rolling to stretch stiff muscles. “Draw the void out.” The idea struck like flint—quick, bright, and full of direction. It wasn’t a full plan. Not yet. But the fire had been lit, and soon—he knew—Deimos would help forge it into something solid in the thread that’s already done.

Fin

the forsaken