"Eska?"
A voice cuts through the haze, and she bolts toward it without thinking. The world narrows to that single call, her body moving on instinct—until she stops, feet skidding to a halt just a few steps away.
Valen stands at the entrance of the small cave. His stance is firm, but his eyes—his eyes—are filled with something she doesn't expect.
Surprise.
Fear.
Eska's breath catches. Her claws drip with ichor, her body still thrumming with heat, but suddenly, all she can focus on is his expression.
Eska's claws begin to melt, dark liquid dripping from her fingertips onto the corpse below. The heat in her veins fades as quickly as it came, her fangs retreating, her breath growing unsteady.
Her vision darkens at the edges, the energy that had consumed her bleeding away, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.
She lowers her gaze to her hands.
The ichor stains her skin—the same sight she'd witnessed when Marina had taken control. But this time, there was no one else to blame.
This time, it was her.
A cold dread creeps into her chest, deeper than fear, heavier than guilt. Her first thought isn't of death, nor execution—but of him leaving. Of turning away, of looking at her and seeing a monster.
"I—I can explain," Eska stammers, her voice unsteady, her hands still trembling.
Before she can say more, Valen's hand clasps hers. Warm, steady.
Her breath hitches as she snaps her gaze up, confusion flickering in her eyes. But before she can find the words, he pulls her in.
The moment swallows them both.
Eska stiffens for just a second, but then the weight of everything crashes down on her. The battle, the blood, the fear of what she'd just become—it all presses against her, and she clings to him.
Valen holds her tight, his arm firm around her back, the other hand cradling the back of her head. His breath is slow, steady, against her hair.
"Explanations can come later," he murmurs, his voice low but certain. "I'm just glad you're okay."
Eska exhales, shuddering against him, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt. Neither of them move to pull away, both lost in the quiet moment, the Thaxil fading into nothing.
A roar tears through the air, a deep, commanding battle cry that rattles the very walls of the chamber. The sound crashes over Eska and Valen like a wave, shaking her from the fear clawing at her chest.
The Hivebreakers have arrived.
From the far edges of the cavern, a storm of elemental magic and projectiles erupts, streaking through the air in a blinding cascade. Fire, ice, and lightning crash down, tearing through the resin-coated ground and cutting into the Thaxil still frozen in place.
The creatures jolt from their trance, their rigid forms snapping into motion. Their antennae twitch wildly, their bladed limbs jerking as instinct takes hold.
Then—they scatter.
Some sprint toward the tunnels, limbs moving in frantic, unnatural bursts. Others scale the cavern walls, vanishing into the shadows, their shrill hums echoing as they flee.
The once overwhelming swarm fractures, breaking apart, their earlier confidence lost to the sudden, unrelenting force that has descended upon them.
The battle—if it could even be called that—doesn't last long. The Thaxil retreat, vanishing into the tunnels, leaving only the bodies and the acrid stench of ichor behind. The cavern falls into heavy silence.
Cole leads the charge toward them, his expression a mix of disbelief and relief. His wide eyes scan the destruction before settling on Eska and Valen.
"What in the Gods' name happened here?!" he exclaims. "You fell through that accursed hole hours ago—we thought you were all dead!"
His relief is short-lived. His gaze shifts, catching the still form on the ground. The moment he sees her, his breath hitches.
Vanessa's cold body.
He quickly looks away, his throat working as he takes a deep breath. "Did she—" His voice falters.
Eska nods. "She saved us before the Queen noticed. There are more people in the crevice." She points toward the small safe spot tucked in the rock. "If it wasn't for her, we would have died."
She stops.
A weight settles deep in her chest, heavy and unmoving. Her limbs feel cold despite the heat of the fight still lingering in her blood. It's a hollow ache, sinking into her bones, pressing down on her shoulders.
Her fingers twitch at her sides, the absence of her claws making her hands feel wrong. She swallows, but the feeling doesn't go away.
She should have done more.
Cole's eyes drift to the Thaxil Queen—or what's left of it. The torn body, the mangled limbs, the dark ichor pooling beneath its shredded corpse. His gaze lingers, his expression caught between awe and disbelief.
"Did you both do this?" he asks, almost hesitant to believe his own words.
Valen shifts slightly. "Actu—" He stops mid-word as Eska's fingers tighten around his shirt.
Her grip is firm, almost desperate.
Her eyes are now seem distant, unfocused. The weight of what happened lingers in them, an emptiness stretching beyond the present, beyond the cavern, beyond him. Like she's still there, standing before the Queen, still tearing into it.
"We did it," she says, her voice flat, hollow.
She doesn't blink.
Valen's voice breaks through the heavy silence, drifting down from above her.
"Y-yeah. We fought it."
His words are careful, as if feeling out the weight of them himself. A hesitation lingers in his breath before he finishes.
"Couldn't have done it without her."
His voice is steady, but there's something else beneath it—something unsure.
"We can't save everyone. It's the hardest truth of this life." he says with calm assurance.
A hint of sadness lingers in his tone, but it quickly gives way to a more reassuring warmth. "But today, you did more than anyone else could have. You saved lives—and sometimes, that's more than enough."
He looks around, watching his men work. "We are about to finish up here. Follow the extraction team. You have all earned your rest. And thank you, again. You saved many lives today."