The gateway spat them out into the holding deck of the Guardian Citadel, all of them hitting the metal floor in a heap.
For a moment, no one moved—except Mira, who immediately checked the relic's readings.
Mira: "Stabilization complete. The Grid's stable… for now."
Her voice was steady, but her hands shook.
Rin's Return
Rin stirred in Kael's arms, blinking against the bright Citadel lights. His breathing was ragged, and for a moment he seemed disoriented—until he saw the others.
Rin: "…You pulled me out."
Kael: "Told you we weren't leaving without you."
A faint, rare smile flickered across Rin's face—quickly gone as he glanced around.
Rin: "…Where's Thorne?"
Thorne's Entrance
A crackling sound drew their attention to the still-open gateway. Out of the fading light, Thorne stumbled through, armor scorched and half his visor shattered.
One knee buckled, and Ayla was at his side before he could hit the ground.
Ayla: "You idiot, you could've been vaporized!"
Thorne: "Would've ruined my reputation if I made it easy for them."
He coughed, leaning against her for balance.
Kael: "You… actually made it out."
Thorne: "What can I say? I'm stubborn."
Quiet Relief
For the first time since they'd arrived in this fractured future, there was no background hum of alarms, no distortion in the air. The Citadel felt… still.
Ayla lingered by Rin longer than usual, pretending to adjust his damaged shoulder plate.
Ayla: "Don't ever scare me like that again."
Rin tilted his head slightly.
Rin: "What do you mean?"
Ayla: "…Forget it."
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