The second I laid eyes on it, I knew. "Oh my God…"
Carter knelt, careful hands reaching for it like it might disappear if he blinked. His fingers hovered, trembling.
"It's beautiful…" he whispered.
But it wasn't an artifact. Not this time
A river.
Water.
Real water.
I felt my chest seize with relief.
"Wow… you were right," I gasped.
It shimmered beneath the moonlight.
Carter chuckled, a tired grin breaking through his dirt-streaked face. "Told you. Soldier instincts never die."
It felt almost unreal, like a piece of another world dropped into this hell.
I knelt at the bank, plunging my hands into the cold water. I splashed my face, shivering as the coolness chased away the dust and heat. Then I lowered my head and drank. It tasted like life itself.
"This is… peaceful," Carter murmured.
We sat back against a broad rock near the stream. For a moment, the chaos of the Trials felt distant.
