Rain still fell when they buried Bob.
The earth was soft, heavy, almost eager to swallow the body.No one spoke at first. The wind did that for them—whistling between the broken roofs, stirring the smoke that hung over the little town.
Tix knelt beside the grave, hands trembling. His bandages were soaked red again, but he didn't care.He just stared at the patch of dirt and the blood that hadn't washed away.
Kim stood behind him, arms folded, jaw tight. His eyes weren't angry this time—just tired."You shouldn't have gone alone," he said quietly.
Tix laughed, a dry, broken sound. "You told us to get stronger."
"I told you to live through it." Kim's voice cracked on the last word. "That's the difference."
Kisar watched from the porch of the dojo, her cloak dripping with rain. When the others had finished lowering the body, she spoke—calm but sharp."Death is a teacher," she said. "But she's a cruel one. Learn fast or follow him."
Tix didn't answer. He pressed a fist to the mud until his knuckles bled.
That night, the storm didn't stop.
Kisar called Kim into the training hall. The candles flickered against the walls, throwing shadows that looked too much like ghosts.
"He's breaking," she said."I know.""You blame yourself."Kim didn't deny it.
Kisar stepped closer, eyes catching the light. "You can't carry all of them, Kim. You'll drown."
He met her gaze. "If I don't carry them, who will?"For a moment, she almost smiled. "Then at least learn to walk with the weight, not under it."
Tix woke screaming.The room was dark, the sheets twisted in his fists. He saw Vox's smile every time he closed his eyes.He pressed his forehead to his knees, whispering through his teeth, "I'll kill him… I swear I'll kill him…"
Outside, thunder answered.
Far away, in the rippling edge of the Void, Nyx's eyes snapped open.
The mark on his chest glowed faintly, a pulse that matched the storm in the world above.Null stood nearby, silent, watching the ripples in the dark water at their feet.
"You felt that?" Nyx murmured."Yeah," Null said. "Something broke."Nyx clenched his fists. "Then we're going back."
The Void around them trembled, as if it agreed.