“Are you sure you want to stay out here?” I ask, turning to face Jinx and Trudie.
They’ve opted to keep watch while Stone and I go inside and try to access the strange mental place we were in earlier today.
It’s Jinx who speaks up. “Girly, as much as I hate to admit it, I think having us in there will just amplify Stone’s curse. You don’t need more chaos. You need to keep your collective cool.”
Trudie nods. “She’s right. Our energies could overpower yours. It’s imperative the two of you make your connection and see what you can see.”
Beside me, Isolde’s hands move with practiced grace, tracing intricate sigils in the air around the Integratron. The symbols glow briefly, casting eerie shadows on the desert floor as evening settles on the landscape.
Finally, she drops her hands and nods at her handiwork. A visible shimmer floats across the surface of the Integratron, like heat on asphalt as it envelops the building.
“It’s done. This will shield us from external influences and amplify your connection to the astral plane,” she explains, her voice a soothing murmur against the howling wind. “The space inside is yours to control.”
The power emanating from each sigil is palpable, even to me.
“Thank you, Isolde. We’ll take it from here,” I say, turning to Stone.
He nods, his expression set with determination but his eyes betray a flicker of anxiety. Or perhaps uncertainty.
I can relate.
Stone steps away from us, making his way to the Integratron’s door. With a careful push, clearly not wanting to damage the structure more than necessary, the door gives way with a soft groan.
“Ready?” Stone asks, turning to me.
I take a deep breath and nod.
We need answers. We need to find a way to obtain the Breath of Selene and get our asses back to Black Crater. I intend on bringing the fight to Andres before he can try a second attempt at my territory.
Having the Breath of Selene will give us an edge.
Stone pushes open the door all the way and we enter—the coolness of the building is a lovely contrast to the desert heat outside.
I’m here for it.
Sweat has been pooling in the small of my back for the past few minutes and it’s starting to drive me insane.
Inside, the air is thick with the scent of old wood and the more subtle, indefinable trace of ancient magics. The remnants of the sound bath we engaged in earlier seem to linger here, too. Like somehow the frequencies live on in a perpetual loop.
Without a word, we position ourselves in the center of the building, under the large domed ceiling we were told was built to concentrate celestial energies. We face each other—our knees touching.
The contact makes my heart thump unevenly, but I need to get over my own apprehension and allow myself to settle into some sort of mindfulness.
But without the distraction of the sound bath and the others in the room, being in here alone with Stone brings a flood of nervousness to my awareness.
Trying to dispel it, I reach out, taking Stone’s hands in mine. His eyes dart up, finding mine with a hint of confusion hidden in their depths.
“We need to do this as one,” I explain, wanting him to be on the same page.
His lips press into a thin line, but he offers a curt tip of his chin.
Closing our eyes, we begin the breathing exercises Isolde taught us, synchronizing our breaths as we slowly sink into a trance-like state. It takes ages.
The transition is subtle at first.
The sounds of the desert fade, and a gentle, pulsing light thrums just outside of my awareness. I settle into it, allowing it to lull me into a sense of peace and calm that I don’t feel in my waking life.
Suddenly, it’s like we emerge in a landscape that seems to stretch infinitely, the ground beneath us shimmering with a translucent quality. I glance upward, trying to orient myself. Above, the sky is a tapestry of swirling colors—not quite night… yet not day, either.
Between.
Somewhere the fabric of reality thins.
Stone and I step forward, each movement echoing with a surreal clarity in this boundless expanse.
Ahead, the Breath of Selene hovers majestically over an altar carved from what looks like moonstone, radiating a silvery glow that casts long, ethereal shadows across the ground.
It’s more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The crystalline orb shimmers with a light that seems alive and pulses in rhythm with my heartbeat. Like it’s a part of me and I’m a part of it.
We approach the altar together, our steps hesitant yet drawn by an undeniable force. We’re on mission. Here for a reason.
Called.
The closer we get, the stronger the pull—like a tide tugging at the very essence of our beings.
“Wow,” Stone whispers, his voice filled with awe as we stand before the altar. He sounds more like himself as he utters, “Every time—it’s incredible.”
A soft sigh escapes my lips as I nod. “It really is.”
Reaching out, I expect to feel the cool touch of crystal, but my fingers pass through it, stirring the air where it should be solid. I turn to him, my eyebrows tugging in.
Without a word, Stone steps forward, his hand meeting the same fate. A ripple of confusion passes over his face.
“Why can’t we interact with it?” My voice is tight with disappointment, the reality of our situation settling in.
We’re here, yet not fully.
Not enough to touch—to claim what we’ve come so far to find.
No…
Stone furrows his brow, lost in his own thoughts.
“We’re not whole,” he muses. “Our physical bodies aren’t here, just some other version of us. That has to be it. We can see it, even feel its energy, but we can’t interact with it.”
“So, we’re ghosts?” I half-joke, but the humor falls flat, swallowed by the vastness of this place.
“More like echoes,” Stone corrects gently. “Our consciousness is here, projected, but our bodies remain behind. We need both to manipulate physical things here. But… I don’t understand. How do we bring our full selves into this plane?”
I circle the altar, tracing my fingers through the air where the Breath should be solid.
“Maybe it’s about balance? Could it be that we’re too chaotic right now, especially with everything going on? The curse, the prophecy, our fight against Andres...” I muse out loud.
Stone nods slowly. “Possibly.” He paces a little, each step deliberate as if he’s measuring the astral ground beneath us. “We might need a counterbalance. Something that can bring a little calm.”
I nod, considering his theory, but then a chill sweeps through the astral plane—unusual given the lack of physical weather here.
“We need to figure this out quickly,” I urge.
As we stand on either side of the altar, Stone’s gaze fixes on the shimmering crystal that seems so close yet untouchable. “There’s something we’re missing—something crucial that would allow us to obtain it. It’s like it’s on the edge of my awareness, but I just… can’t…” His eyes go distant as his words peter out.
As we ponder the missing pieces to this puzzle, the ground beneath us subtly shifts. It begins as a faint tremor—almost like the softest heartbeat quickening under our feet.
I pause, feeling the vibrations grow stronger, more insistent.
Stone stops and looks around, his body tensing.
“Do you feel that?” he asks, his voice low.
I nod, barely able to conceal my growing anxiety. “Something’s changing,” I reply, my gaze sweeping across the surreal landscape that seems to be turning against us.
The serene beauty of the place is morphing into something more sinister—a manifestation of something far from peaceful.
As we stand, the sense of change intensifies. The ground now visibly ripples, waves of energy distorting the air around us. Shadows lengthen and twist, forming shapes that are almost human—shifting as if stirred by an unseen wind.
“It’s like this place is reacting to our presence... or our frustration,” Stone murmurs, his eyes narrowing as he tries to understand the phenomenon unfolding around us.
Instinctively, I walk to him and his hand finds mine, his grip tight and reassuring despite the uncertainty.
Before either of us can comment further, a deep, resonating growl echoes through the space. It’s a sound so profound and terrifying that it vibrates through my very core.
From the shadows, a form emerges, coalescing into a dark figure.
Goosebumps erupt over my nonexistent skin and I fight back a gasp.
It’s a creature born from nightmares. Its body is a swirling mass of dark mist—eyes glowing a fierce, malevolent red. As it approaches, the air around us grows colder, the energy heavier—denser somehow.
This being—this entity—it feels like a direct challenge. A barrier meant to keep us from our goal.
Stone’s grip on my hand tightens, and he positions himself slightly in front of me.
“What do you want from us?” he demands, his voice steady but edged with the tension that claims us both.
The creature’s form seems to pulse with the shadows, drawing them tighter around itself as if cloaked in the very essence of the astral plane’s darkness.
Instead of a spoken response, its intentions flood into our minds—a cold, invasive whisper that feels like it’s trying to suffocate our thoughts.
“You are intruders here. Leave this plane or be expelled by force.”
I step beside Stone, unwilling to hide behind him.
“We were called here by the Breath of Selene. We’re not leaving without understanding why. Why are you trying to stop us?” My voice is firm, pushing back against the fear that this creature instills.
The entity’s response is a low growl that vibrates through the astral ground, its eyes narrowing as if annoyed by our resistance.
“You carry nothing but disturbance. Your presence unbalances the sacred equilibrium. Prove your worth or be purged from this place.”
Stone tries to pull me back as the creature advances, a dark wave of energy emanating from it. As the entity moves closer, its form becomes more defined and terrifying, and the atmosphere thickens with a palpable malevolence. The shadows around us swirl faster, as if feeding off our anxieties and fears.
“You seek what is protected. Only those worthy may claim it,” the voice thunders through our minds—a statement that feels like a judgment.
Suddenly everything becomes all too clear.
This isn’t just any encounter.
It’s a trial—a test of our worthiness to claim the Breath of Selene.
And perhaps it’s interwoven with the prophecy.
Stone and I exchange a glance, understanding dawning between us both.
This trial, it’s not something we expected, nor something we can flee from. We have to face it, here and now, on a plane we barely understand.
Fuck, I should have done some research.
“What do we need to do?” I ask the creature, my voice projecting confidence I barely feel.
The creature’s eyes burn brighter.
“Show that you can transcend your limitations. Face your shadows and balance the chaos you bring to this realm. Only then can you proceed.”