The entire space collapsed inward, folding with a soundless shudder as it returned to its original size. The warping dimensions stabilized—finally—once I anchored myself against the trembling floor. My senses stretched, and with the Clarion of Touch humming against my skin, I took hold of the fractured castle's frame.
Piece by piece, I held it together.
A long breath escaped my lungs, heavy with exhaustion. Across the ruined floor, Sinus lay sprawled, laughing weakly with his eyes closed. That fool. I couldn't help but chuckle too, despite the weight in my bones.
"Let's go," I muttered, offering my hand.
We lent each other our bodies—shoulders bruised, arms shaking—as we staggered through the collapsing structure. The ship greeted us like a distant memory. Most of the other ships had already departed, leaving us with hollow silence and fading heat trails.
"Well that's a bummer," I said, glancing at the empty docking bays. "Guess the emperor won't hand us rewards."
Ahead of us, a small group of people waited in the landing corridor, their faces tense and unsure. I stepped forward first, letting Sinus sit down against a support column. He winced, muttering something under his breath.
"Hello," I said, raising my hand. "I am Heide… Heide Decimus."
Their expressions changed the moment I spoke the name.
"I am from Taskhand," I continued. "And since we have successfully found you by the emperor's order, you can return home. If asked, just say that you were rescued by Taskhand."
"Thank you," a man said, stepping out from the group. One after another, more followed—ladies, children, older men. They spoke their gratitude with trembling voices, their steps hesitant as they boarded the evac ship.
In the distance, from our ship's ramp, I caught a glimpse of Shalap. She was watching us quietly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Rest had done her good. To smile like that after all of this... I almost didn't recognize her.
"Sinus looks terrible," she said as we laid him down again inside. She knelt beside us, a bit of warmth in her teasing tone.
Sinus chuckled hoarsely.
We began tending to his wounds with the limited meds we had. After plotting a destination into the navigation panel, the ship stirred and began to move—this time no external force.
Nurfemder Port greeted us with flickering lights and the scent of salt. The three of us disembarked and made our way to the nearest hospital. The painkillers kicked in fast, dulling the edge of every step. Our bodies, though patched up, felt foreign.
A day passed before Monday finally arrived. We had sent him a short message—just enough to let him know we were back.
He walked through the doors, tall and steady, and smiled when he saw us. "You guys feel better?"
He came forward without hesitation and hugged each one of us—firm, quiet, grateful. The hospital discharged us not long after, and Monday led us to the carriage he had arranged.
As the wheels rolled across familiar roads back to Menyurl, we filled him in on everything. Every detail. Every scar.
Monday listened, his eyes lowered slightly, the corners of his lips twitching upward.
"I'm sure Gramps would be proud," he said.
"Yeah," I murmured, patting his back. "So, what's been going on? Any other things that happened?"
"Ah, yes. Things have gotten slightly bad," Monday said, his tone shifting. "Since when you were gone, Gars Evena and Wanora went on a mission... and I was handling the stuff. Don't worry—they're back safe and sound. It all happened within a day."
"What exactly happened?" Sinus asked, straightening slightly, eyes sharpening again.
"Well…"