They were all stunned into silence. What the fuck?
That black gate had eaten Han, and it had happened in the blink of an eye. Taria pressed close to Kael, trying to put as much distance between herself and the gate as possible.
"Han! Han!" Kest shouted, he used his technique to flashed forward. But the moment he moved, something dark pierced his neck. He staggered like a drunk, his strength suddenly vanishing.
His hand touched his neck, and came away holding a small black thorn.
Slowly, Kest turned to Thandor. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
Thandor calmly lowered the hand he’d used to flick the thorn. His eyes scanned Kest and Jonna with cold precision. "We don’t know what this place is," he said, "and until we do, no one makes reckless mistakes."
Kest gritted his teeth. His eyes darkened, and he took a step forward towards the Refiner but Jonna grabbed his arm and pulled him back, shaking his head.
"But Han—" Kest began, his voice breaking, his eyes still full of disbelief and pain.
Jonna expression tightened, but he still shook his head. "We have to think things through first."
Then, raising his hand, he directed his mana energy toward the gate. Purple light tore through the air, hammering the dark surface with explosive force that shook the tunnel room they were in.
But nothing happened, not even a ripple across the strange gate. It stood there dark and cold as if silently mocking them.
"Resistant to mana?" Kaedros mused aloud. He narrowed his eyes. "Or that gate is just... absurdly powerful."
What could something like that be doing there? Where they were supposed to be in a forbidden zone?
There was something in the air, an aura unlike anything he had felt since his Choosing with that codex. It was thicker, heavier... yet eerily familiar. Like the being with the yellow eyes. Different, yet echoing the same vastness that he had felt.
It somehow, could he felt a faint resonance between his core and the energy?
With a flash, he remembered the coincidence he felt when he was in the vast emptiness with the Codex.
"We should leave," Vexa said suddenly, her voice cold and firm.
"Not without Han!" Kest snapped. "We’re not going anywhere until we get him back."
"He’s probably dead," Vexa said, her tone uncaring.
"We can’t know that," Jonna countered. "He might be alivez waiting on the other side of that door. We need to find a way to open it."
"We don’t have time for that," Vexa shot back.
Kaedros was surprised.
Vexa rarely said more than a sentence unless necessary. Now she was pressing the issue hard. Why did she want to leave so badly? Did she know something they didn’t? Or was she just focused on getting Rauk out?
"Knight Vexa is right," Thandor said. His gaze returned to the black gate, heavy with caution. "We have no idea where we are. We should leave while we still can."
Surprisingly, it was Rauk who spoke next. "Shouldn’t we at least try to find out what happened to him?"
"He’s dead," Thandor said flatly. "No one survives something like that... something so unnatural even to we Ascendants."
Kest stepped forward again. This time, Jonna didn’t stop him. The strength stolen by the thorn was beginning to return.
"You can leave if you want," Kest said, defiant. "But we’re staying here until we see our teammate again."
Thandor sighed. "Do as you wish."
He turned, but Vexa’s voice froze him mid-step.
"They must return with us."
Kaedros heard it, something off in her tone. Cold. Absolute. And Thandor clearly heard it too, his head snapped up like a whip.
"Why?" Thandor asked politely.
"Because I said so." A dangerous aura slid around Vexa like unsheathed blades. "And I’m the strongest one here, so I make the decisions."
Thandor stiffened. His eyes darkened, shifting toward deep green as power began to swirl around him. "Is that your answer too, Lord Rauk? Do we leave now?"
Tension clawed through the air.
Kaedros didn’t understand why Rauk’s opinion suddenly mattered, when clearly the battle lines were being drawn between Thandor and Vexa. They were the ones who would decide the outcome, not the young noble caught between them.
Kaedros subtly moved himself and Taria to the side, pressing against the wall.
Things were about to get dangerous.
Rauk looked at the remaining White steel members, then the gate. Finally, his eyes turned to Thandor and Vexa. "Shouldn’t we at least confirm that Han is dead?"
Vexa’s jaw clenched. Her grip on her sword tightened. Then she closed her eyes, and when they opened, her face was calm. Cold.
"You’ve made up your mind, then," she said quietly.
"Let’s help them search for Han a little," Rauk said, trying to keep peace. "Then we can return."
"You’d better decide quickly," Kaedros pointed out. "The portal is closing."
And it was. The swirling black portal behind them was shrinking by the second.
"Nothing else to be done," Vexa murmured, straightening.
It was long, flat, double-edged, and gleamed red under the firelight.
Kaedros and Taria inched closer to the fading portal, measuring their odds. Just a few more paces, they could still make it out.
"Stop," Vexa said flatly. "Or I’ll take your heads first."
Kaedros froze. First?
"What are you talking about, Vexa? What do you mean?" Rauk demanded. "You’re not going to kill anyone here."
"Shut up, Rauk," Vexa said.
The silence that followed was complete.
Even Thandor stared at her, wide-eyed. No one had expected that.
Kaedros’ stomach churned. This was spiraling fast. Too fast.
Vexa turned slowly to Rauk, her lips curled into a smile. "It feels... refreshing to finally say that. Shut up, Rauk."
Rauk staggered backward, as if slapped. "What?" he whispered, lips trembling. "What’s happening, Vexa? Stop this at once, I command you, as your Lord."
It was cold. Unforgiving.