The device pulsed again.
A low hum filled the cave.
Not loud—
but wrong.
The stone beneath their feet shivered.
Razilia's eyes sharpened.
"…Stop."
The soldier holding the device hesitated.
"Ma'am?"
The hum deepened.
The edge of the lounge platform—
just barely—
began to flake.
Not crumble.
Not crack.
Break down.
Layer by layer.
Dust.
Then finer.
Then—
nothing.
Razilia moved instantly.
She grabbed his wrist.
Hard.
"Turn it off."
He froze.
"…Ma'am, this is standard—"
"Turn. It. Off."
Something in her tone—
something old—
made him obey.
The device powered down.
Silence.
The cave stopped reacting.
Razilia slowly released his wrist.
Then exhaled.
"…That's not storage."
The soldiers exchanged looks.
"…It's a reduction unit," one said carefully. "Breaks objects down to base material before storing. Efficient for transport."
Razilia turned toward him.
"…Yeah."
A small pause.
"…and what happens when you point that at something that isn't just material?"
No one answered.
Her gaze drifted across the cave.
Then—
toward the spring.
"…This place isn't dead."
That landed.
Hard.
R2 stepped forward slightly.
"…Clarify."
She glanced at him.
Then smirked faintly.
"Congrats."
She gestured vaguely at him.
"You survived the hard part."
He didn't respond.
But his wings flexed—
smooth now.
Controlled.
She walked past them.
Barefoot.
Calm.
"Since they skipped your purification," she continued casually, "they probably skipped your storage imprint too."
The soldiers stiffened slightly.
"…Storage imprint?" R2 asked.
She tapped her forehead lightly.
Then her chest.
Then her arm.
"Everyone's got space."
A pause.
"Some of us just… know how to open it."
She stopped in front of them.
Then turned.
"Watch."
She raised her hand.
The air shimmered.
A faint mark appeared along her wrist—
like a symbol pressed beneath the skin.
Not glowing.
Not bright.
Just… there.
She reached down—
and touched the stone floor.
For a second—
nothing happened.
Then the stone…
folded.
Not physically.
Not visibly.
It simply—
wasn't there anymore.
No dust.
No residue.
Gone.
The mark on her wrist pulsed once—
then faded.
Silence.
"…That's storage," she said simply.
One of them looked at the device.
Then back at her.
"…So we've been… doing it wrong?"
She shrugged.
"Not wrong."
A small smile.
"…just inefficient."
Then—
her head tilted.
Slowly.
"…Do you feel that?"
The air shifted.
Not pressure this time.
Something else.
A pull.
Not physical.
Primal.
R2 felt it immediately.
His posture changed.
"…Yes."
The others followed.
One by one.
Something was outside.
Not attacking.
Waiting.
Razilia didn't move.
"…It's been following you," she said quietly.
R2's head snapped toward her.
"…Negative. No confirmed—"
"Not you."
She turned toward the entrance.
"…me."
The moss curtain didn't move.
But the space beyond it…
shifted.
A shape appeared—
then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Closer.
Like something trying to stabilize.
It didn't step inside.
Didn't attack.
It just—
watched.
Razilia's expression changed.
Not fear.
Not recognition.
Something deeper.
"…Why does that feel familiar…?"
The thing outside pulsed.
For a fraction of a second—
two faint blue lights flickered within the distortion.
Gone just as fast.
R2 stepped forward.
"…Unknown entity detected. Recommend—"
"Don't."
Her voice stopped him instantly.
"…It's not trying to hurt us."
The distortion shifted again.
Closer.
Hungry.
Not for flesh.
For her.
Razilia took a slow step forward.
Her eyes narrowed.
Straining.
Trying to focus.
"…I can't see it properly…"
The thing pulsed harder.
Like it was trying to reach her.
Recognize her.
Or be recognized.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"…Why do I feel like it's…"
A pause.
"…waiting for me?"
Silence.
Behind her—
one of the soldiers slowly raised the device again.
"…Ma'am… if this is a threat—"
Razilia didn't turn.
"…Don't."
Too late.
The device powered up.
And the cave—
reacted.