The metallic door squeaks as it tries to close but there just isn’t enough magnetic force channelled through.

A’krozni sits by the wall with Nimriksi in his arms. Her shallow breaths got so fast she’s barely holding on to consciousness.

He can’t stand this scene. Everyone’s barely keeping themselves standing. They lost Amoli’ab on the way here as he bought them some time to escape.

No one says anything and he thinks it’s because everyone has the same grim thought in mind.

Vezirva keeps by the door, watching the corridor in silence and a distorted expression of rage painted all over her face.

The 7 of them have various injuries, from deep still-bleeding wounds, to punctured lungs, and everything in between.

They were already tired when they returned. But it was somewhat of a calculated risk.

The item they were looking for was acquired and everyone involved was more or less dealt with.

A classic retrieval mission couldn’t possibly go this wrong.

Something followed them back.

“Use an N28 on the pulse.”

What?

Is she serious?

“Boss?”

Sinia, the one holding the Serverous Pulse, is equally confused by this.

“We can’t fight that thing in our current state.”

“But...we can’t…”

“It’s either we die protecting it and this place sinks, or we live and this place sinks…”

She doesn’t turn her face towards her people.

This is an exceptionally terrible decision she has to make and it enrages her.

“There’s at least 600 people essential staff!” A’krozni shouts with his own rage.

“They’re not my responsibility!”

“They asked for our help.”

“Well they should’ve done so sooner…”

“We can’t…”

“We can and we will!”

Sinia starts to run his fingers along engravings in the cube he’s holding.

“You guys are okay with this?!”

A’krozni is met with shameful silence.

“We can’t just…”

He stops before he finishes his complaint as he feels a small hand clutching at his arm.

He looks down to be met with grunts of pain from Nimriksi.

How can he object to survival…

They know they had their last moment of silence as they hear echoes from beyond the corridor. Metal distorting suddenly and heavily. Clunks that would otherwise be background noise suddenly bring terror to their hearts as it gets closer and closer.

“How long?!”

Vezirva readies her sword with the little energy she has left.

Everyone, who could, raises their wrists and aims at the door.

Encroaching death makes its presence known to everyone’s hearts.

“Just a few more…”

The sound of distortion now became a loud noise of penetration.

The walls are clearly breaking beyond the corridor.

“Barrier 9 at the end of the corridor!”

From the 7, 3 of them twist their bracelets as they glow.

The leader stands her ground by the door.

The injured girl rests.

The carrier continues to run his fingers around the cube.

And Tav'Taroush has a sad smile on her face.

It all happened so quickly. The wall broke as a large projectile passed through it.

It hits an invisible barrier that stops it to a halt.

With the shock of the hit, the barrier breaks and the 3 get their energy sapped from them.

A black metallic ball with a reflective orange core that looks like an eye floats in the middle of the path. Spider-like legs, black and metallic, with streaks of fire through the cracks between plates, float beside the ball before promptly embedding themselves into the wall.

A wave of energy leaves the cube and with them, most of their injuries turn to scars of the past.

Vezirva, with new found energy, readies her hand back for a swing.

Before her sword was activated, a beam of energy had already engulfed her entire arm.

This was as coordinated as they could get.

Within a single second, they had guarded, healed, and were about to make a blast attack.

Yet this metallic creature is not only unfazed, but had shot a light-bending beam that took away the would-be-attacker’s right arm.

It was very obvious, this was probably the end for them.

Vezirva can’t gauge this thing’s durability or ability.

She lost both her arm and her sword.

Frankly, it’s not looking good.

If she were alone, maybe things would be different, but as she’s responsible for this ragtag group of complete fucking morons with too much combat skill for their own good… she’ll try one last thing.

Afterall, she’s running on borrowed time anyway.

She starts running towards the metallic monster.

If it could strike her down while her heart’s a safe distance away.

She didn’t advance more than 3 steps before a blinding light covered her, like a comfortable blanket.

Everyone is standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sunlit ocean.

It takes them a few moments to realise that they’re not dead and have escaped somehow.

Such a pristine scene cannot go by unappreciated.

Just the right amount of green around them that suddenly cuts off to a crystal clear ocean below them. The small town of metal floats amidst the beautiful colours of the deep coral reefs below, like a small iceberg of manmade steel.

They can see small bursts in the metallic hull by the horizon.

An explosion can be seen expanding at its own leiger as something black streaks across the sky towards the unknown.

The small town slowly sinks down towards the unrelenting abyss.

Many lives were lost.

Just like that, a once powerful body will never see the light of day again.

They’re brought back to reality as they hear a grunt amongst them.

Vezirva’s tall figure single handedly holds another by the collar.

Her face spells untold rage and pain.

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“WHY?!”

Why is she so desperate when they had just miraculously escaped.

Even Nimriksi that could barely move is now standing fine and in good health.

This was the miracle scenario.

“I… can’t afford losing you…”

Tav'Taroush does not resist and merely takes in her boss’ anger.

They stand below a large symbol, written into the air with sparkling blue light.

A rune that they’ve never heard of.

“AND I YOU?”

Vezirva starts to shake. It could be from her heart breaking, or the phantom pain getting unbearable. Possibly both.

The group doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening.

“It was inevitable…”

She speaks truth.

It was more likely than not that their boss would outlive all of them when it comes to natural death… or even unnatural ones too.

Many of them bet on that fact and use it to be a lot more reckless than they should.

By both, valuing their own lives less than they should and to have peace of mind that they won’t have to suffer the loss of someone dear to them.

“You could ha-”

“Please…”

Vezirva couldn’t help but be taken aback by how in pain that plea sounded.

She slowly puts her down to the ground.

Tav'Taroush turns to the others as Vezirva steps further back.

“Thank you all… for everything really…”

Her eyes, blank, glow faint blue.

“What’s… what’s happening?” one of them asks on behalf of the confused.

“I’m saying my farewells…”

She’d rather not tell them.

Of course, who would want to explain such a thing?

Her very being is getting burnt away slowly so that her new rune settles down.

Carving a new rune into the compendium of the world requires time, precision, and a phenomenal amount of energy.

To simply create a new one... as hastily as that… It has drawbacks.

Normally there’s strain on the writer each time they advance carving their new rune; the amount of time and strain depends on how powerful the intended effect is.

In this case, bending space is a very tall order.

Now the new carving demands sustenance; in theory, a fragment of her very soul will be permanently set within her writing, keeping it together within the compendium.

They take turns as she goes around the group, giving a few last words, a laugh or two, and a deep hug.

Vezirva stands further up the cliff, watching down from afar.

Tav'Taroush struggles to walk slightly.

A’krozni doesn’t understand what’s going on.

How can they all just have a ‘last word’ with smiles on their faces?

How can they be so calm about this?

Even their usually enraged boss just stands there on her own, completely blank as if her mind was no longer there.

Is he supposed to just accept another one of his comrades is casually gonna die, with the perks of having a few minutes to say goodbyes and shed a few tears?

Why is no one trying to stop this?

They’ve known her a lot longer than him so they should be a lot more attached.

How come they’re not asking what’s wrong or trying to help?

And why… Why does it hurt him so?

He’s by far the newest in the group with only over a decade with them.

The one before him has more than half a century on record.

Is this supposed to be normal for them?

A’krozni’s turn came around. Emotions burn within him. Questions unanswered demand to be asked. And yet he does not.

Tav'Taroush embraces him with a hug.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“It’s okay… this… job… it can get hard sometimes, and that’s okay…”

Her words make him feel things.

Not sure if it’s daggers to the heart or comfort around it.

“You’ve already done more than enough to deserve your Raven Threads… when it gets too hard… remember that many before you… left after getting their title...

“It’s not the easiest of lives… so know… you can always return to normal life.”

She’s been in his shoes once… practically all of them have at least once. The first devastating mission always sticks with you.

She slowly lets go and struggles up the cliff towards their boss.

Her entire body now glows.

“Such a shame… I would’ve liked to see you one last time out of battle.”

She probes with her hand looking for Vezirva’s face.

Tav'Taroush lost sight the moment she created a teleportation rune.

She’s using their boss’ vision to navigate around.

“There was still much to do…”

The boss’ hand brings the wandering hand to her cheek.

“We’ve done so much in so little time.”

“There was nothing little about it…”

Tav'Taroush couldn’t help but smile.

She’s been with her just short of 3 centuries; the oldest of this generation.

She knows that 300 years is barely going to dent her boss’ memories, but it’s nice to hear her say that it’s not as little as she says it is.

“I will find you in due time…”

Vezirva has never sounded so calm as she does now.

It may be the mind numbing pain, or a side of her that remains hidden most of the time, but neither of them care about that for now.

“Then give me something for my fragment to remember you by.”

She asks to be given but it was more of her taking something she wanted for a long time now.

After she lets go of her boss, she walks down and addresses the remaining 5.

Now her body shines as much as a rune of light; it’s hard to look at.

“There’s a village 48km that way… settle down there until she comes back to pick you guys up in a decade or two.”

4 of them stand wearing their gold riddled white dresses, specially fitted.

The 5th, A’krozni, holds his newly materialised dress in his hands.

Smiles on their faces, giving their old companion one last farewell.

A flash of light blinds them for a second only to see the cliff to be empty.

Vezirva, Tav'Taroush, and the rune drawn in air have all disappeared.