[The Next Day]

Void dragged his feet towards the pile of carcasses, a strong stench assaulted his nose as he hurled a pile of bones into the pit.

Crouching down, he rummaged through the pile, scrutinizing each bone. A few minutes later, he chucked a few pieces of ribs and spines towards the other end of the pit, scattering them near a separate pile.

"We're done." He hollered.

"Oi, keep it down." Pahanin retorted, pulling his hood to veil his eyes, he rolled over.

Void felt his brows twitch as he cursed under his breath.

"What did you just say?" Pahanin jolted upright.

"I said, perhaps you'd like to start us off...Sir." Void juggled the grenades.

Pahanin clicked his tongue as he rustled his cloak, rolling his shoulders.

"You do the honors, I am tired of this place." He spat out, wiping sand off his armor.

"As you wish." Void swooped down to grab the pile he had set aside, leaping out of the pit. He pulled the pins and let them drop to the center.

A second later, tremors shook the air, a shockwave erupted, plumes of dense smoke rising from the center.

The pile of bones now reduced to ash, scattering away with the howling wind.

"Is it done?" Kabr chimed in, carrying their old comms relay on his back, he planted the transmitter into the ground.

"You just missed it." Pahanin answered, he shifted closer to the comms relay and opened its circuit bay.

Kabr's eyes fell on the pile in Void's arms.

"Keeping all that?"

Void shrugged, "Bit of a collector."

"Suit yourself." Kabr eyed the bones but the aura they emitted rubbed him the wrong way. Akin to an eerie whisper threatening to erupt. A sense of imminent doom.

He didn't know what charmed Void, but he knew hunters loved to collect odd trinkets. As such over the years, he'd learned to mind his own business.

"How long till we leave?"

"Just need to setup this final node, we're ready to leave." Pahanin tinkered with the circuit as he rewired the components. Prompting the relay to act as an emitter instead.

"Do we really need to close off every relay we put down?" Void inquired. He didn't know enough about the realities of space communication.

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Pahanin dusted his hands, "No, this one's special. We're marking the mass graves." His eyes lingering towards the ash polluting the wind.

"Ahamkara's are hard to kill off. The emitter will help us check every once in a while. Within that ash and this barren planet, if they really are alive. We'll kill them again." His voice rugged to the ear.

He walked off as his wrists lit up, the transponder pinged the Jumpship.

"The winds are bad but, ships will be in range in five minutes."

"Just enough time for a talk." Kabr crossed his legs as he leaned on a boulder.

He shot a glance at Void, "What's your next move?"

"Hmm?" Void was caught off guard, he circulated his thoughts but couldn't arrive at an exact answer.

"Nothing concrete yet, I'll hang around the cosmodrome and explore more. There's something I am trying to find."

"Treasure hunting?" Pahanin chimed in.

Void shrugged, "Sorta"

"Try the northern Dry Sea or Edge of the shore. Everywhere else was cleaned up decades ago."

"I will keep it in mind." Void nodded.

"It's not a bad option. But I've got ideas." Kabr interrupted, stealing a glance at Pahanin, the latter going dead silent. As if he knew what was about to be said.

Pahanin frowned slightly, but didn't say a word.

"Void, you're growing fast. Faster than we could have ever imagined." Kabr showered him with genuine praise.

"So I will offer you a choice. Join my fireteam. I.....no, we plan to tackle something on Venus. I can't tell you exactly what it is.. A place sealed for centuries, holding answers to the very fabric of our reality."

Void's heart skipped a beat, 'The Vault of Glass, as I thought...'

"What will it be?" Kabr pressed on.

"Think carefully, don't let greed blind you." Pahanin slipped in a few cautioning words.

Kabr retorted, "Do you not think he'll make a good fit? We can teach him. Make him stronger."

"I don't doubt it. But you can't lie to him. You're not telling him what's at risk. You never planned to." Pahanin calmly answered.

Kabr took in a deep breath, and let out a sigh. He nodded.

"Don't thoughtlessly jump in. It's bigger than you think. We've been at it for hundreds of years. So we'll chase the next anomaly no matter the cost."

Void felt a slight tinge of sorrow in Pahanin's voice. 'That feeling, like nothing matters anymore.'

"But you, you've got everything ahead of you. It won't be easy. You might just never come back."

Kabr glanced back, "You heard him, what'll it be?"

Void pressed his lips together. 'Vault of Glass. I am not ready for it yet.' He couldn't see a conceivable way to succeed.

"Sorry but... I can't."

Kabr shuffled away from the boulder as the ships pierced through the Martian atmosphere.

"I understand. But, you're always welcome to join our fireteam, for this or anything in the future. We'll be there if you need it."

He fist bumped Void, the Jumpship's flew closer.

"See you around kid."

Kabr waved, his figure dissociating into fluttering specks of light.

"Hope you find something worthwhile down there." Pahanin saluted as he transmatted back.

Void didn't waste a second as he appeared within the helm of his ship. Immediately he stashed the pile in his inventory.

"Obsidian, set course to city. We're going home." Void spoke sullenly.

The fate of the vault haunted him.

'Can I save them?' He was lost in his own mind, the autopilot routed back to earth.

------

[Earth, The Last City]

Several Jumpships pierced through the atmosphere, guardians returning from the hunt. The hangar was crowded, and it wasn't long before the Vanguard's office was lined with fireteams.

Naturally, each fireteam only sent their representative. Unfortunately, Void was handed this task, meaning he had to stay back and report every event.

The Speaker was engaged with several guardians. As he spotted Void, he excused himself from the others and paced closer.

"Void, I presume you bring good news?"

He nodded, "Total annihilation. We burned their bones to ashes. Though I did keep a few souvenirs."

"I understand, that won't be a problem. The Vanguard will contact you once they're available. You're free to go."

Void immediately high-tailed it out, leaving towards Skywatch before it got too crowded.

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