Renkai walked slightly ahead, eyes scanning the horizon. "The closer we get to the crater, the more unstable this area feels. Watch your footing, Lira."
They pressed onward, navigating around glittering ridges that caught the sunlight in blinding flashes. Crystalline vines curled along the ground, some almost springy, others brittle. Lira paused to harvest a few edible crystal fruits that had formed on a low, square-shaped plant. The salty sweetness lingered on her tongue, and she quickly jotted notes in her journal, testing a method to crush and dissolve the harder crystals for juice.
Fluffy mewed again, a sharp, urgent sound, and darted slightly behind Lira. She glanced down and saw the little creature stiffen, ears pressed back. Somewhere in the distance, a faint shimmer flickered against the jagged horizon—shadows cast oddly by the crystalline landscape.
