Uncharted Territory
The trip back from the Rift seemed unreal, as if time had stopped to allow the three of them to comprehend the gravity of what they had done. Elara, Lyra, and Zara walked silently through the desolate area, each absorbed in their own thoughts. The once-roiling skies had started to clear, revealing dim stars that twinkled like forgotten memories, and the air was lighter now, free of the oppressive weight of the Rift's energy.
The Burden of Survival
Zara's knuckles whitened with every stride as she gripped the strap of her pack. The flashing light, the Rift sealing, and the brief pain of gripping the fragment as it merged with the chaotic energy were all vivid memories that she couldn't get out of her head. Her own essence had seemed to be disintegrating, but here she was, still alive.
"How are we standing at all?" Zara's raspy voice pierced the silence. "I was certain that we would be destroye
