And it was final.
They had successfully found the Lupercalia's Artifact.
For such a long moment after uncovering it from the earth, none of them spoke. The soil had been carefully brushed away, their hands working together in cautious silence until strong surface met open air. Ancient. Cold. Altar-like artifact crafted from what appears to be aged bronze or dark stone. It was rectangular and heavily ornamented with intricate carvings. Along the sides and base, there are detailed engravings of mythical creatures — wolf-like figures, serpentine shapes, and abstract ritual symbols — all arranged in horizontal bands and with the crescent pierced by three vertical lines — the same symbol that had guided them across continents and confusion.
Hope turned to happiness so suddenly it almost felt unreal.
Kevin laughed first — not loudly, but in disbelief. Joyce covered her mouth, her eyes shining. Cole just stared at it, shaking his head slowly as if confirming to himself that it wasn't another illusion. Lenora felt something inside her loosen — a tightness she hadn't realized she'd been carrying since this quest began.
"We did it," Kevin whispered.
No one corrected him. They had done it.
All the failed portals. Egypt. Italy. Russia. The endless hills. The hours of doubt. It had led here — to this quiet hill in the forest, to this artifact resting in their hands.
But deep inside, they all knew something else — It wasn't over.
Lenora was the first to say it out loud.
"The Lupercalia's Blood," she said softly.
The words settled over them like the night air beginning to fall.
Joyce nodded slowly. "The artifact was just the beginning"
Cole sat back on his heels, close to the Artifact "And the harder part is probably ahead." No one argued.
The artifact felt heavy — not just in weight, but in meaning. It was proof they were capable. Proof they weren't chasing myths. But it was also a reminder that the quest had layers they hadn't uncovered — Yet.
Joyce exhaled. "Let's at least celebrate this part." It was odd coming from a girl like her but nevertheless, they did.
By nightfall, they had set up a small camp at the base of the hill. Nothing extravagant — just a simple fire built from dry wood and fallen branches. The flames flickered gently, pushing back the darkness just enough to make the forest feel less vast.
The artifact rested safely beside Lenora, wrapped carefully in cloth. The fire crackled.
For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no immediate danger. No portal misalignment. No running. No guessing — Just them.
Kevin stretched his legs toward the warmth. "I can't believe how long we've been gone."
Joyce stared into the flames. "It doesn't feel like weeks… It feels like months."
Cole nodded. "Time moves differently when you're not home."
That word lingered — Home.
"No phone to make Calls?... We can tell everyone back at Nyxoria that we've found the Artifact" Cole asked. It was then, they remembered they have really used any tech device since they entered Nyxoria.
"Tech and Time doesn't work there" Joyce told him
"Time?" The Masons asked, in unison.
Lenora hugged her knees lightly. "Mummy probably thinks I'm just buried in school projects," she said with a faint smile. "She always says I disappear into books."
Kevin chuckled. "Daddy would definitely notice. He times everything. If I'm late by ten minutes, I get a full lecture."
Joyce's expression softened. "My parents wouldn't worry that much"
Cole poked at the fire with a stick. They'd all turned their attention on him now.
"Well, guessed you guys have spoken for me then" They laughed.
They fell into a gentle silence after that — not heavy, just thoughtful.
Being away had felt necessary. Urgent. But sitting there under the open sky, with the artifact finally in their possession, the distance from home suddenly felt larger than it had before.
Lenora looked around the circle.
"We've been chasing this for so long," she said. "We didn't really stop to think about what we were missing."
Kevin nodded slowly. "Normal days."
"Dinner at home," Joyce added
"Arguing over small things that don't matter," Cole said with a half-smile.
Kevin, Joyce and Lenora turned to him and said in Unison
"You're referring to us, right?"
Cole just smiled. The fire popped softly.
Lenora leaned back against a fallen log. "When this is over… I don't think I'll take those things for granted again."
"Same," Kevin replied quietly.
oyce looked up at the sky, where faint stars were beginning to appear between branches. "Do you think they can feel that we're okay?" The question was simple.
Cole answered first. "I think they just hope we are."
That was enough.
They didn't need dramatic speeches. They didn't need promises. The firelight reflected in their eyes told its own story — exhaustion, relief, gratitude. They had accomplished their first successful job quest — And they had done it together.
Kevin broke the silence again, this time lighter. "At least when we get back, we'll have one unbelievable story."
Lenora smiled. "Not one anyone would believe."
"That makes it better," Cole said.
Joyce wrapped her arms around herself, not from cold but from reflection. "We started this not knowing if we could even handle it."
"And now?" Kevin asked.
She looked toward the cloth-wrapped artifact. "Now, we know we can."
The forest remained still around them, almost respectful. The hill behind them no longer felt mysterious. It felt conquered.
But the mention of Lupercalia's Blood lingered in each of their minds like an unfinished sentence.
Lenora finally spoke what they were all thinking.
"The Blood won't be as simple."
Cole gave a small nod. "Nothing about this has been simple."
Kevin sighed dramatically. "Can we at least sleep before we think about that?"
Joyce laughed softly. "Yes. One victory at a time."
The fire burned lower as the night deepened. One by one, their conversations slowed. Thoughts drifted. The exhaustion of days — of weeks — began to settle in their limbs.
Lenora glanced once more at the artifact. They had found it. That fact alone felt powerful enough to hold onto.
She thought of Mr. And Mrs Mason. Of Nyxoria. Of normal mornings and familiar sounds. She thought of how far they had traveled — not just in miles, but in courage.
"We're not done," she whispered quietly, more to herself than anyone else.
Cole heard her anyway. "No," he agreed. "We're not."
But for tonight, that was okay.
Tonight was about the fire. About the shared silence. About the understanding that no matter how complicated the road ahead became, they had already proven something important. They could finish what they started.
The flames finally softened into glowing embers.
Above them, the stars stretched wide and patient. Hope had turned to happiness.
And beneath that happiness was determination — steady and growing.
Tomorrow, they would think about Lupercalia's Blood — Tomorrow, they would plan.
But tonight, they rested — carrying both victory and longing in equal measure, knowing that the journey forward would take them even further from home before it finally led them back.
"Come on, Lenora!" Cole noticed she couldn't see.
"Go to sleep. I will keep an eye on the Artifact" He reassured her.
"Sure" She smiled and they all confirmed that hope was really a good feeling.