The white expanse stretched endlessly in every direction, a realm without shadow or sky. For the first time since entering the Helm, there was no looming threat, no fractured ground or cursed whispers. Only stillness.
Carlos sat with the Blade of Ascension resting across his knees. Its fire, once blazing, now glowed faintly like embers after a storm. He ran a hand across the hilt, the weight of what they had just done settling on his chest like iron.
Lys sat beside him, silent, her bow lying across her lap. She stared into the blank horizon, shoulders tense, as if waiting for the next danger. Carlos nudged her lightly.
"It's over," he said softly. "At least… this part."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, then softened. "I've said that before," she admitted. "And it never really was. But… this feels different."
For a long moment, she leaned against his shoulder, allowing herself to rest.
Thalor
The knight stood a few paces away, armor scorched, shield gone, yet his posture still proud. He gazed upward at the endless white.
"All my life I believed strength was measured by what one man could bear," he said, his voice carrying across the silence. "But today… today, I see it was never about bearing it alone."
He looked at each of them in turn, eyes lingering longest on Carlos. A rare smile, tired but genuine, touched his weathered face.
"You carried us forward. And we carried you."
Carlos opened his mouth to argue, but Thalor raised a hand. "Don't deny it. Let it stand."
Rina
Rina lay flat on her back, staring up at the blank ceiling of nothing. Her daggers were sheathed, her hands behind her head.
"You know," she muttered, "I didn't think I'd make it past the Shattered Plains. Thought I'd be the first one out. Just another body in the dirt."
She closed her eyes, a crooked grin forming. "But here we are. I didn't just survive. I mattered."
Silence fell around them, not heavy, but warm.
Maren
Maren sat cross-legged with her broken staff across her knees. Her fingers traced the cracks in the wood, sparks flickering faintly. She had unleashed everything inside her, all that unstable magic she had once feared. And yet… here she remained.
"My power didn't destroy me," she whispered, almost to herself. "Not this time."
Carlos turned toward her. "It saved us."
Her eyes flicked up, shimmering with both pride and disbelief. Slowly, she nodded.
"Then maybe… maybe I'm more than the curse I thought I was."
Together
The five of them sat in the endless quiet, no walls, no chains, no enemies. Just each other.
Carlos felt a strange weight lift from his shoulders, replaced by something steadier, stronger. Not the thrill of victory, but the bond of survival. Of trust.
Finally, Lys broke the silence. "The gateway won't wait forever. When we step through, we won't know what's on the other side."
Rina snorted. "When do we ever?"
Maren smiled faintly. "But whatever it is… we'll face it together."
Thalor nodded once, firmly.
Carlos looked at each of them in turn. He remembered their first meeting, how fragile the trust had been, how often betrayal had lingered like a shadow between them. Now, sitting in this quiet place, he couldn't imagine facing what lay ahead without them.
He rose to his feet, the Blade of Ascension humming softly in his hand.
"Then let's step forward," he said, voice steady. "Together."
They stood side by side, five warriors scarred and changed, yet unbroken.
Before them, the golden gateway pulsed, waiting.
And this time, none of them hesitated.