After a few hours, the world outside finally slowed, the landscape shifting from a blur to something tangible.
The rock-car rumbled to a halt.
"Oh, thank GOD," Tori yelled, blasting herself out of the top with her power before Paul could even make a doorway. "Can't you make it a little more smooth!?" she cried, leaning against a nearby tree like she was carsick.
Everyone else stepped out, greeted by lush trees and crisp, fresh air.
"Wow…" Lena breathed, her eyes wide as she took in the scenery. "Never been to Montana!"
Zora stepped out last, scanning the quiet forest. "So... where's the camp?"
Paul rose up from the ground beside them and pointed. "There's a barrier here," he said. "I think it's what keeps the spiders out."
Zora squinted, trying to see anything unusual. Nothing shimmered. No glowing runes. Just empty air.
Huffing, she picked up a rock and chucked it in the direction Paul was pointing.
Thunk. It flew through the air and hit the ground harmlessly.
"You sure there's a barrier?" Ivory asked, side-eyeing Paul.
Paul rolled his eyes and, with a flick of his wrist, summoned a column of stone beneath her feet.
Ivory yelped as she was launched skyward. "You motherfu—!"
She stopped mid-curse. Her eyes went wide with something much worse than annoyance. She hit the ground hard and instantly popped up, trembling, scanning the area like something was hunting her.
Tori and Lena were next. Their startled yells echoed through the trees.
Zora barely had time to brace before she felt the ground shift under her.
Ah, shit.
She was airborne. And then—
She hit it.
The barrier.
And it hit back.
A wave of fear crashed into her, slamming through every mental wall she'd built. All the trauma, the doubt, the guilt — everything she'd been stuffing down came up like floodwater. Her breathing quickened. Her heart pounded like it wanted out of her chest.
Then—
A hand on her shoulder.
Zora looked up.
Ivory was there. "Just breathe. Breathe."
She did.
And, slowly, the world came back into focus.
"God... I can see why the spiders stay away from this area," Tori muttered, dusting herself off.
Paul rose from the ground beside them, stretching with a grin. "Ahhh, that felt good. Anyone wanna go again?"
Ivory shot him a look so sharp it could cut metal.
Paul just chuckled. "The camp's about a minute walk from here. Let's get going."
Then Paul melted back into the earth, his form crumbling to dust.
Lena blinked, staring at the empty space he left behind. "Uhhh... Ivory?"
Ivory was already walking away. "Just another day, I guess," she mumbled.
Zora signaled for Tori, who had finally caught her breath, to follow.
"This place has to be pretty big if it takes us a whole minute to get there," Tori said, narrowing her eyes at the dense forest.
"I agree," Ivory added, glancing toward the sky. "And just how powerful is the one causing it?"
She shot a glance at Zora, who shrugged. "We can ask him when we find him."
Are you excited to see Tariq? Warden's voice teased in her head.
Zora didn't answer right away… but yeah. She was excited.
Her moon was finally within reach.
Hehe... guess he's my moon and I'm his stars now.
Zora chuckled quietly to herself.
Lena suddenly appeared at her side with a grin. "Ooohhh, someone's excited!"
Ivory's head whipped around. Tori raised a brow.
Zora's face instantly heated up. "No— I-I mean—"
"I don't blame her," Ivory said, shrugging. "He's cute."
"And she said there's nothing between them!" Lena added, staring directly at Zora's red face.
Ivory nodded solemnly. "Even Tori wants a piece."
"Do NOT drag me into this," Tori said, eyes wide with alarm.
Ivory chuckled—
—and then a man appeared in front of her, twisting her around in a flash, a knife at her throat.
"Take another step and she dies," he said.
Everyone froze.
Ivory's wide eyes darted around, trying to assess the situation without moving.
"Who are you?" the man asked coolly.
A chunk of rock rose from the earth and formed into Paul beside them.
"We aren't looking for trouble," he said, raising both hands.
The man jerked Ivory tighter.
"Does the name Rico mean anything to you?" he asked.
Paul glanced at Zora. She shook her head slowly.
"Look," Zora began, "we're from a camp in—"
"I know exactly what camp you're from."
The knife vanished, and he shoved Ivory toward Paul.
"I'll be watching all of you."
Then he was gone—like he'd never been there at all.
Ivory stumbled into Paul.
"What a welcome," Tori mumbled.
As Paul helped calm Ivory, Zora's eyes swept the trees, searching for any sign of the strange man. Her brows furrowed.
"Wait… did anyone see what he looked like?"
Everyone paused. They thought for a moment…
…and then shook their heads.
No one remembered his face.
*What kind of people are in this camp?*
With that uncomfortable thought still lingering, they pressed on. No one spoke. Every snapped twig made them tense, every gust of wind felt like a whisper. They kept waiting for him to appear again… but he never did.
Finally, they arrived.
Large tents stood in a circle, a campfire nestled in the center. Off to the side, a small house sat on the edge of the clearing. It was quiet.
Too quiet.
"This isn't creepy at all," Tori muttered, glancing around.
One of the tent flaps unzipped with a soft shhhk. A tiny head peeked out.
"They're not bad people!" a child's voice called cheerfully.
More zippers followed. One by one, people emerged from the tents — men, women, children — all staring at Zora's group.
An elderly woman stepped forward, her eyes glowing deep green.
"Hmmm…" she said, eyes locked onto Zora.
"Quit that, you old bat!" a sharp voice snapped from behind.
Zora turned — she knew that voice.
Mara.
She strode out of the house, her expression a mix of surprise and amusement.
"Welcome to our camp!" she called with a smirk. "Hope you're ready to carry your weight!"