With each passing moment, the mask pulsed with sinister energy, drawing her gaze into its hollow eye sockets like a moth to a flame. The intricate details of the protruding and elongated coiling horns, the twisted visage frozen in a rictus grin, and the wild mane cascading down its back spoke of a craftsmanship that bordered on the macabre.

Abeona's voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Careful," she cautioned her words a sharp reminder of the danger that lurked within the mask's twisted embrace. "The mask feeds on Aether, draining thyne life essence. Do not let it consume thee as it did the girl."

Habondia tore her gaze away from the mask. “Sure,” she said, gasping.

As she carefully wrapped the mask in a makeshift sack using her jacket, she could still feel its presence seeping into her very being.

As Habondia finished tying off the makeshift bags, the bones were now snugly nestled within the fabric, and with a nod to Abeona, she hefted the makeshift pack onto her shoulders.

“Let this one handle this,” Abeona said, grabbing the makeshift sack with the mask.

"We possess all the relics now, Abeona." Habondia declared.

Habondia's words lingered in the air, heavy with unresolved pain. She felt the weight of her injuries pressing down on her, a reminder of the trials she had endured to reach this point. Her energy depleted, her spirit weary, but a flicker of resolve burned in her eyes as she gazed at Abeona.

"This one has not completely recovered from this one's injuries. This one's energy has been spent on getting here. Still, this one cannot go back to help thee."

With a solemn nod, Habondia embraced Abeona, seeking solace in the familiar touch of a friend. As they held each other, a strange and wondrous sight unfolded. Fairies of Blood, ephemeral beings with the delicate features of boys, their skin a dusky red, wings like autumn leaves, and hair like droplets of blood in vivid orange, materialized from Habondia's body. They darted towards Abeona, a spectral dance of light and shadow as they plunged into her form, their essence mingling with hers in a silent communion.

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A fleeting moment of envy crossed Habondia's mind as she watched the fairies bestow their healing energy upon Abeona. "I wish I could harness their power within myself," she murmured, a hint of longing in her voice.

Abeona's gaze softened, her irises turning light green. "Indeed, their gifts art not thyne to use."

With a gentle command, Abeona enfolded Habondia in a tight hug, and in an instant, the world around them shifted. A dizzying rush of sensations swept over Habondia, the fabric of reality twisting and warping as they reappeared near her tent, the air crackling with residual Aether.

"This one shalt heal thy wounds," Abeona said. A ripple of energy pulsed from her fingertips, weaving a mantle of light and shadow that enveloped Habondia's limping injured leg. The pain ebbed away, replaced by a sense of warmth and vitality that suffused her very being.

The first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of pink and gold, casting a soft glow over the lake as Habondia set to work. With a sense of reverence, she retrieved a collapsible shovel from her backpack, its handle worn with use and its blade sharp and gleaming in the early morning light. She began to dig, the earth yielding beneath the steady rhythm of her movements.

The soil was cool and damp beneath her touch. With each shovelful of earth displaced, a sense of closure mingled with the lingering sorrow that hung heavy in the air. Habondia's thoughts drifted to the Celtic girl whose bones now rested in the embrace of the earth.

Once the hole was covered, Habondia and Abeona stood side by side, wordless in a silent vigil. A shared soundless prayer fluttered on the breath of the wind. And then, with a gentle touch and a sorrowful gaze, Abeona vanished into nothing, leaving behind only the echo of her presence.

Alone once more, Habondia gathered her belongings. She secured the bundle of her jacket and the mask in her backpack to later wear her dirty long-sleeved shirt.

Finally, She mounted her motorcycle, the engine thrumming to life beneath her hands. The road stretched out before her, a ribbon of asphalt winding through the verdant landscape, leading her back to Inverness.

"Did she ever have horns?" Habondia's thoughts circled back to Abeona.