Each squad member readied themselves for the mission ahead. Ryan fumbled slightly with his gear at first, but muscle memory eventually kicked in. His fingers expertly adjusting belts and snapping armor plates into place, he looked into the mirror. His gaze lingered on himself before he made his way to the main lobby.

Gathered in a corner, they were all wearing their black uniforms, which hugged their bodies, tailored for unrestricted movement, while sleek armor plates were designed to shield vital areas without adding unnecessary weight.

For the most part, the uniforms were identical, blending them into a cohesive unit, save for Tom and Mera. Their specialized roles called for a sleeker variation of armor—more refined in design, hugging their frames tighter. However, the difference was subtle, more a matter of function than flair, ensuring they fit seamlessly into the team without drawing attention.

Ka'lou’s grin stretched as he joined up with the rest of the squad. “All right team! Vizor gave us set grid coordinates. We’ll be taking a lowglider for the first half of the trip before we make landfall.” He tapped at the console on his wrist, the soft hum of electronics barely audible. “Coordinates are sent. Let’s wrap our first mission before nightfall, yeah?”

A lazy chorus of half-hearted salutes followed as they made their way outside. Ka’lou watched them file out, awkwardly lingering with a big ol’ smile just long enough to make other people in the lobby uncomfortable.

Outside, the lowglider hummed beneath their boots as the squad settled in on the deck, the murmur of engines filling the air. Ryan exhaled a slow, deliberate breath, his gaze flicking over the team. He should have been glad to get out of Circh Station. Finally having something to do other than rot away on dull nothingness. But on the other hand, he’d have to spend the day with Tom, which soured his excitement.

He stared across from him, watching Tom try to chat with Anneli, gesturing animatedly as he tried to strike up a conversation. But Anneli’s attention drifted elsewhere, her gaze unfocused, lost in whatever hazy dreamscape she found more interesting than Tom’s chatter.

Ryan chuckled under his breath, his smirk hidden behind his tinted face mask. The mirrored tint of the helmet gave him the freedom to watch the awkward encounter without restraint. Tom’s relentless romantic quest was almost impressive—if only he knew how to take a hint.

On the other hand, Ryan felt an odd sense of comradery with Anneli. As he stared dead ahead while a shaky voice prattled into his ear, low and rapid, each word blending into the next.

“Did you notice Revnant Vizor’s weird posture earlier? It was subtle, but the air around him—like, it was off, wasn’t it—”

Ryan turned slightly, catching Mera’s gaze from the corner of his visor. She leaned in close, her voice still a rapid murmur of information that Ryan couldn’t fully grasp nor particularly wanted to. He gave a noncommittal "mhm,” hoping it would pass as engagement.

Mera smiled wildly as if he’d just validated the most brilliant insight in the world and continued her stream of unintelligible commentary.

Ryan slouched deeper into his seat, bracing for the inevitable exhaustion this mission promised—long hikes, awkward conversations, and endless distractions. Still, he found a sliver of enjoyment in it all. They might have been mismatched and awkward, but at least they were doing something.

Ka’lou jogged up to the lowglider, wiping ink-stained fingers on his uniform. "Paperwork over!" he exclaimed before climbing up to the upper deck.

The lowglider resembled a sleek skiff, its elongated hull resting on three crystal-like legs that flexed and shimmered as it hovered just off the ground. The upper deck was raised slightly, with a seat for the driver surrounded by a simple control console, while the lower deck offered a tight seating area that could squeeze in around ten passengers, though comfort was clearly an afterthought.

Ka'lou grinned as he settled in behind the controls, adjusting the throttle with a flick of his wrist. “Alright, team! Hold tight. We’re heading out.” His voice carried easily over the hum of the lowglider’s engine as it whirred to life.

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The machine shifted beneath them, the tripod legs retracting smoothly as the lowglider began to glide forward, moving with a gentle sway that mimicked the motion of a boat over calm water. Ryan could feel the slight pull in his gut as the craft tilted to turn toward the main gate.

They cruised past the security outpost, where Ka’lou gave a playful wave to the lone guard on duty, who responded with a half-hearted salute as they slipped through the open gates.

Ryan glanced over his shoulder, studying the massive silhouette of Cau Mountain towering over Circh Statin. Its jagged cliffs reaching skyward like stone claws. The peaks dusted with snow even under the sun's warm glare. His eyes lingered on the vista. Watching the station disappear in the distance.

On their right, the abyssal forest loomed like an alien fairytale. The blossom canopy was so thick that only fractured beams of sunlight slipped through. Ethereal pink hues shimmered in the air, casting a soft glow over strawberry-pink grasses and leaves, their vibrant colors striking against the pitch-black bark of the alien trees.

Ryan shifted in his seat, scanning the tree line. Despite the pretty colors and soft glow, there was an undeniable eeriness to it. The strange flora pulsed with quiet energy, like a resonant heart pulsing slowly.

Mera leaned closer to him. “Doesn’t it feel... off?” She whispered, her voice barely loud enough to hear over the hum of the engine.

He gave her a sidelong glance and nodded but said nothing. She wasn’t wrong. Even with the pretty lights and bright demeanor of the flora, the forest ahead was still part of the leaking abyss.

Ka’lou, seemingly unaffected by the forest’s strange allure, adjusted the controls in the back, bobbing his head to some unheard tune. “Just a few clicks, folks. We’ll be making landfall soon,” he called down to them, the cheerfulness in his voice almost too casual for the moment.

Tom’s voice crackled loudly through their comms. “Captain Ka'loser, aren’t your Kyyr receptors getting that eerie feeling from the woods?”

Ryan smiled under his mask. Good question, meathead! he thought, casting a glance toward Ka’lou at the controls.

Ka’lou’s grin was audible in his voice. “Now that you mention it, yeah, the woods are looking pretty glowy today.” He eased off the throttle slightly, the lowglider slowing as he squinted toward the treeline. “Mera, what’s the condensation?”

Mera fumbled through the pouches on her gear, muttering under her breath before fishing out a small sensor device that she attached to her sleeve.

“Shouldn’t that be on you at all times when doing land nav?” Ryan asked, a little concerned.

Mera shrank in her seat, cheeks burning behind her helmet. “I—I was just excited...and forgot, you know...” Her voice trailed off, hands fumbling over the device’s controls, avoiding Ryan’s judgmental gaze. Tapping away at the device. A faint beep confirmed the readings; she then toggled her comms to broadcast aloud. “Uh, okay... zero turbulence, three volume?”

Tom jumped in, never one to miss a moment. “Isn’t that... abnormal?” His voice carried a mix of curiosity and unease.

Mera nodded slowly, fingers hovering over the screen as if waiting for it to change. “Yeah... the local concentration is one, with a density of two.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “That’s... a little high.”

Ka’lou gave a low whistle, his easy grin still intact, though the twitch in his brow betrayed his unease. “Well, that’s cute,” he muttered, reviewing the data Mera sent to his wrist console. He glanced over his shoulder at the forest again, the bright pink hues suddenly feeling more ominous. “I’ll ping Vizor with an update.”

He leaned back into his seat, flicking the comms switch with a practiced motion. “All right, folks. Take five while we wait for a response.”

Ryan leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. The lowglider drifted lazily along the forest’s edge until its hum softened into silence.

There was this mild pain that swam through his gut. He couldn’t explain it, but the more he lingered on the forest, the more something seemed amiss. His Kyyr receptors buzzed faintly beneath his skin, an involuntary response that heightened his senses. Ryan’s kept watching the forest, locking onto the glow that pulsed within.

Ethereal vines and leaves shimmered with strange light; their radiance was rhythmic, like the slow beat of a heart. He stared as far as his eyes would take him. The forest an endless pink abyss.

All his senses began to tune into the faint, natural sounds carried on the breeze. The soft crack of twigs. The gentle rustling of leaves. But beyond that—nothing. No birds chirping. No insects buzzing. No signs of ordinary life. Just silence, broken only by the occasional whisper of shifting foliage.