Dawn's golden spears pierced the camp, dew glistening on tent fabrics like scattered diamonds, the air crisp with the mingle of woodsmoke and fresh earth at 06:30 AM on 2085.
Tobi shouldered his pack, the iron domain tattoo on his arm radiating a steady, metallic heat that seeped into his muscles, making each flex feel like tempered steel bending to his will.
Courage domain intertwined, a warm surge in his veins that sharpened his senses, the rustle of leaves sharper, the distant bird calls clearer, as if the world pulsed with his heartbeat.
Zara's hand in his was a lifeline, her blind steps guided by his voice, her jasmine scent cutting through the morning's damp chill.
Yusuf scouted ahead, star-beast's paws thudding softly on sand, runes flickering like dawn embers.
Nneka's gauntlets whirred, scanning traps with uli pulses that hummed like hidden drums. "Guardian lair close tales say it veil illusions thick as fog, hide nexus in fire's heart," she said, her exile's caution edging her words, eyes scanning horizons scarred by past gates.
Zara squeezed Tobi's hand, her touch electric despite her frailty. "Veils part in my mind left path, envy thorns pulse like hearts." Her curse lingered, breaths shallow, but her visions flowed clearer through contact, a double-edged gift that drained her like a leaking vessel.
Tobi's smirk hid concern. "Lead us, stargazer. We carve through."
A trap sprang envy vines whipping like serpents alive, thorns dripping venom that sizzled on stone.
Tobi's threads lashed, iron hardening them to unyielding blades that cleaved through with a resonant clang, courage fueling his leap over the writhing mass.
The march pressed, Zara's curse a beacon amid growing shadows.