Not void like before—not the white collapsing nothingness of the paradox—but true darkness, thick and heavy, like ink suspended in water.
Red Kael woke first.
They jerked upright, gasping, hands scrambling for ground that didn't exist. The darkness pressed in from all directions, giving no sense of distance or direction. No horizon. No sky. No body heat.
Just dark.
A moment later, Blue Kael's voice cut through the black:
"…Red? You there?"
"Yeah," Red Kael answered, steadying their breath. "Where's—?"
Before they could finish, a third voice spoke from the dark.
A trembling voice.
Their voice.
But not theirs.
"I'm here."
The Third Kael.
And their tone was unmistakably alive.
New Light
A faint glow flickered in the darkness—like a candle struggling against the void.
The light pulsed irregularly, expanding slowly until Red Kael and Blue Kael could make out shapes.
The Third Kael stood between them.
Except…
…they didn't flicker anymore.
