(Well then. We should get moving. No point sitting around now, right?)
Asher didn't respond right away. His eyes stayed fixed on the horizon.
The calm waves reflected the golden light of a fake sun—one he had made.
Finally, he sighed.
"We're not going anywhere."
Pantheon turned toward him. (What do you mean?)
"I lied."
Asher stood, dusting off his hands.
"This place… we're still inside an isolated space. The real universe is out of reach."
(You said R's realm collapsed. That should've broken everything and returned us to the surface layer.)
Asher nodded. "It should've. "
He turned and faced the island's empty center, where strange symbols floated faintly in the air—runes that didn't belong to any known language.
"There was a second layer over his world. A backup, maybe. When it collapsed, I was pulled in."
Pantheon stood slowly. (Did you try escaping?)
"I tried… but I failed."
Pantheon placed a clawed hand on Asher's shoulder.
