Asurik followed her lead. His magma Ikona shimmered beside him, molten light spilling onto the pod's ruined surfaces. He lingered at the threshold, one hand sliding along the battered doorframe as he turned to Kikaru, pinned within the netting.
"Sorry, Kikaru," he said, his tone heavy with resigned pragmatism. "Looks like we're fated to keep crossing swords."
Beyond the doorway, the corridor stretched out, dim and oppressive. The conduits glinted faintly, the distant roar of B Block's chaos echoing in faint bursts. Cube X's tension was almost tangible—an invisible pulse that pressed against Elias's skin. He stepped forward, the weight of his own lies dragging with him as he followed Vira into the dark.
Elias kept his hand firm on Junjio's shoulder, guiding him forward as the boy stumbled. His portal Ikona, once a strong ring of light, now barely glimmered at his side.
Tears cut streaks through the grime on his face, his wide, terrified eyes darting from shadow to shadow.
