With a deafening clash of ice and fire, Mera staggered back, her ears ringing as the shockwave disoriented her. The air exploded with a thick fog of Kyyr and ash, swirling in chaotic tendrils that blurred her vision. She blinked rapidly, but her eyes found no clarity through the dense haze.

She shook her head, forcing her Kyyr mask to reform. The ghostly vision flickered back to life, revealing faint movements within the mist—shifting currents of energy swirling like restless spirits.

Not far from her, a dim Kyyr signature pulsed through the fog. Anneli? Mera thought, her breath quick and shallow. The silhouette was faint but familiar. She tried to orient herself, her senses straining to locate Ryan through the haze.

She froze.

Her heart pounded violently against her ribs, the sound drumming through her brain. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but her body refused to move. She sat their paralyzed, her pulse racing as fear coiled tightly around her chest.

Within the haze, she saw the vague outline of three figures.

Her breathing grew erratic as she focused solely on one of the figures—a hulking presence that dwarfed the other two. It’s form was incomprehensible, but through the ghostly filter of her Kyyr mask, she caught fragmented glimpses of its presence.

Mera held her breath as she watched the array of lights that composed the vague figure slowly pick up on the smaller figures that lay on the floor. Then, through the veil of dust and ash, Ka’lou’s limp body emerged, hanging lifelessly from a massive clawed pale hand.

It held him above the dust cloud its claws, sinking lightly into his armor, tilting him around as if inspecting him.

Stabbing through Ka’lou was a long, icy spear embedded through his spine. Frost clung to his armor, spreading cracks along the surface where the weapon had lodged itself. Yet, despite the spear impaling him, Ka’lou was alive.

His silver eyes, dull with agony, found Mera through the haze. Tears spilled freely from his eyes, streaking down his scarred face. He stared at her, pleading without words, his body paralyzed in the creature’s grasp.

Silently, the creature dragged Ka’lou’s limp body back into the swirling dust, disappearing into the thick haze.

Then the thing shifted. Slowly, it reached down again—and this time it lifted another figure.

Her heart shattered as Ryan’s lifeless body emerged from the fog, dangling limply from the creature’s massive hand. A strangled sob caught in her throat as she saw the extent of his injuries. Ka’lou had thankfully missed his intended goal, but the beating he had received early didn’t leave much hope.

The monstrous hand held Ryan aloft, almost carelessly, like a child might dangle a broken toy. His head lolled to the side, limp, while his leg snagged on a low-hanging branch. With a violent yank, the creature tore him free, leaving a jagged wound in its wake, before letting him slip back into the haze. The dust swirled and churned as Ryan’s form vanished into the settling cloud, consumed by the thick mist.

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Mera remained unmoving, her tears spilling freely now, tracking down her cheeks beneath her Kyyr mask. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think—just stared at the spot where Ryan had disappeared.

Then, the thing seemed to melt into the ground, its towering form vanishing without a trace—no sound, no movement, nothing left behind.

Mera stared blankly in shock, crippled by a mix of grief and fear. Her hands twitched uselessly at her side, until a sudden jolt snapped her out of her daze.

Anneli grabbed her shoulders. “What happened?! Where’s Ryan?” Anneli frantically asked the unresponsive Mera.

Mera’s Kyyr mask flickered, fractures spreading across its surface until it cracked apart, revealing her tear-filled eyes. She simply whispered, “It took them.”

Anneli, even more confused, reached for the bioreader; she scanned the squad’s status, her brow furrowing deeper as the readings came into focus.

Just like Tom's, their condition was seemingly perfect, as if their fight hadn’t even happened in the first place. “What the hell?” she murmured. “What happened?”

Mera and Anneli sat in heavy silence, the oppressive weight of the forest pressing down on them. Finally, Anneli broke the stillness, her voice barely above a whisper. “We have to get out of here and warn the station.”

Mera's gaze drifted toward the looming monolith. Its dark, suffocating presence was as overwhelming as the first time they’d seen it, casting an eerie shadow over her thoughts. “What about Ryan and Tom?” she asked, her voice dry and hoarse from crying.

Anneli shuddered at the mention of their missing teammates, the reality clawing at her mind. “We—we can’t save them... We have no idea what we’re dealing with,” she whispered.

She turned to Mera, her crimson-pink eyes glassy and distant, her eyelids swollen and pink. “Listen, Mera, we have to get back and warn the others about Vizor and that thing,” she said, pointing at the towering monolith in the distance.

Mera’s eyes stayed locked on the monolith, her body still as a statue. “Can we save Ryan?” she murmured, her voice empty.

Anneli looked away, her expression faltering for a moment. “I—I don’t know,” she admitted softly. Then, with sudden determination, she grabbed Mera by the shoulders. “But we can’t just sit here, and we definitely can’t just walk up to that thing. We need to leave!”

“But Ryan…” Mera whimpered.

Anneli rose to her feet, brushing sand from her knees. “We need help to save him, Mera. We can’t do it alone.”

For a moment, it seemed like Mera might listen—she slowly stood, a glimmer of hope flickering in Anneli’s chest. But then Mera spoke, her voice soft but unwavering.

“I’m going to get him.”

Anneli froze. “Mera!” she shouted, rushing to grab her arm. But Mera was deceptively strong, yanking herself free with surprising ease.

“You’ll get yourself killed!” Anneli pleaded, panic rising in her voice. “The bioreader is wrong! This could all be a trap!”

Mera paused, staring down at her trembling hands. “But what if he’s still alive?” she whispered, her voice cracking beneath the weight of the question.

Anneli shook her head in disbelief, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Why do you care so much? All he does is ignore you!”

Mera turned toward her, her face twisted in a grimace, tears brimming in her eyes. “So what?” she shouted, voice raw with emotion. “You don’t know anything about me! Or about Ryan! Yeah, he can be a dick, but at least he was there.” Her tears finally spilled over, and she wiped at them furiously with the back of her hand.

Anneli exhaled slowly, letting go of her anger. “Fine,” she said, her voice soft but stern. “Just... use that Kyyr ability of yours. Don’t die. And take your time getting there, okay?”

Mera nodded once, offering no more words, and turned back toward the monolith.

Anneli watched her go, her heart heavy with fear and frustration. “Idiot,” she muttered under her breath before turning in the opposite direction.

Without looking back, they parted ways.