The air felt heavier than ever. The night stretched over the lake. I still sensed the presence of something greater beyond that point of opening, as if the very space itself was being forced to bear a weight that didn't belong to it.
And then I realized: Pedri was there. His rapid breathing betrayed the sprint he had made to the shore, and his wide eyes flickered between me, Luna, and what remained of the rift.
"But… you were just going to get some fresh air…" he murmured, panting as if he'd just crossed miles. "And I find out there's a mystical hole to hell behind the dam? I knew going out with you, Ana, was going to give me a headache."
"Pedri!" I exclaimed, stepping forward, trying to intercept him before he got any closer to the fissure still throbbing on the ground. "You shouldn't be here!"
He raised his hands as if he could negotiate with my urgency.
"Too late, I'm already here. Besides, do you really think I'd stay at the bar, drinking watered-down beer, while you get involved in some… I don't know, horror movie ritual?"
Luna cast him a quick glance, assessing him as if measuring whether his presence would hinder or add anything. But what came next left Pedri speechless.
On the other side of the opening, a silhouette formed clearly. Zade. His posture was impeccable, a studied calm that seemed to mock all the chaos. His smile appeared slow, deliberate, as if he had always expected this moment to happen.
"Well, it's good you brought company, Miss Rhode," Zade said, his deep voice cutting across the shore like a blade. "Witnesses are important."
Pedri's eyes widened even further, and he whispered to me:
"Is this guy real? Because I swear he gives me chills."
"Pedri, go away!" I insisted, gripping his arm, but he only stepped back half a pace, still fixed on the scene.
Zade walked slowly to the edge of the fissure, and even without crossing it, his presence altered the shore. The nearby trees leaned as if trying to flee, and the lake's surface rippled in tight circles.
"You have no idea how much I enjoyed watching your steps get here," he said, staring at me as if dismantling a puzzle piece by piece. "And you brought… who exactly?"
Pedri cleared his throat, raising his hand timidly.
"Uh… pleasure, Pedri. Catastrophe intern, apparently."
Zade's smile widened, and for a moment I thought I saw genuine delight in his gaze, as if Pedri were just another toy on his board.
Luna stepped slightly forward, firm.
"He has nothing to do with this. Keep him out."
But Pedri, as always, chose the worst moment to be brave.
"Hey, hey, hold on. You talk about him like he's some evil department head. I just want to understand: what exactly is he?"
"Pedri!" My voice cut through sharply as I tried to grab his shoulder. "You don't understand!"
He turned to me, and at that moment his gaze fell on the crescent moon necklace resting on my chest, illuminated by the sparse light of night. His expression shifted, for a second, as if he recognized that it represented something far greater than I had ever explained to him.
"That necklace…" he said, almost in a whisper. "I thought it was just an old piece, but… it's responding to this, isn't it?"
I didn't need to answer; the silence between us confirmed it.
It was then that a low laugh echoed from the shadows: Jace had appeared, partially hidden by the gloom, observing everything as if watching a performance. His eyes reflected the same strange hunger I had seen before, as if every word, every movement, were nourishment for him.
"Two against one is always interesting," Jace said, his voice soft, almost playful. "But bringing a third? Now that's bold."
Pedri turned toward him, panting.
"Okay, now it's two villains. Great. This just became a convention. I should've stayed drinking."
"Pedri, please," I pleaded, trying to pull him back. "This isn't a joke. This isn't a game. You need to step away."
But he looked at me with unexpected firmness, and for the first time that night, his humor gave way to something more serious.
"Ana, do you think I'll let you go through something like this alone? I'm not that stupid."
My throat tightened. I knew the path ahead wasn't meant for him. But the mere fact that he was there, even stumbling over his own jokes, reminded me of something vital: I couldn't lose someone who trusted me.
Zade tilted his head, watching us with cruel calm.
"So that's it, Ana. You choose whether to take fragility with you… or leave it to be consumed here."
Pedri raised an eyebrow, looking at me.
"I guess he's talking about me, huh? Great, I didn't like that."
A tense silence settled in, and I knew that the choice I made there would change everything.