Julia sat on the edge of the garden, the cool night air brushing against her skin. The quiet hum of the shed behind her felt distant, as if everything inside it was happening on another plane. She couldn’t stay in there any longer. Arion and Ismail were deep in conversation. Her mind, heavy with thoughts, kept her on the edge of restlessness.

  “I’m going to get some rest,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would break the fragile peace she had left. Arion barely glanced up, absorbed in his talk with Ismail.

  She stepped outside, away from the noise, the thoughts swirling inside her head.

  Can Arion help me?

  She wanted to believe it. Arion was different, steadfast. He had promised to help her find Sam, to bring her back to safety. But that promise, so comforting at first, was beginning to feel fragile, like something that could crumble at any moment.

  She had trusted Curls once. He promised her safety. Now Sam was gone. Abducted by Curls —Theron. What if Arion is just like him?

  What if, after everything, he was just using her to get to the crystal, pulling her into something she couldn’t control, making promises he couldn’t keep?

  What if he betrays me, like Curls did?

  He had the full crystal now, and it was healing itself. She’d seen what he was capable of with its power. She’d seen the look in his eyes when he used it. Once it was whole, Arion would become unstoppable.

  Why would he even need to help me?

  She shook her head. No. She couldn’t think like that. There was a part of her that trusted Arion.

  But her hand reached into her pocket anyway, fingers brushing against the smooth surface of her phone. The silence of the past two days had stretched thin, unbearable. Arion had insisted they kept their phones off to avoid being tracked. But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Curls had left her a message.

  He wouldn’t just take Sam and not contact me.

  He wants the crystal.

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  Two minutes, she decided. Two minutes, and then I’ll turn it off again.

  Her thumb hovered over the power button, uncertainty hanging in the air like a thick fog.

  The phone buzzed, startling her. She didn’t need to check the screen to know who it was.

  Thomas Curls.

  Her heart skipped as she opened the voicemail. His voice crackled through the speaker, cold and calculating.

  "Ms. Carter, I can’t believe a woman of your stature can be fooled by the fanaticism. Arion's obsession with something he doesn’t even understand—it’s dangerous. He's a religious fanatic."

  His words sank deep into her, but it was the next part that really struck her.

  "It’s not magic, Julia. It’s just something we haven’t figured out yet. Something we could use to change everything. Help me get your half of the crystal, and we could rewrite the future. Think of what we could accomplish—new technology, a new world."

  Her breath caught. He was speaking a language she could understand—a vision of something tangible, something real.

  What if it wasn’t divine? The thought unsettled her. What if it wasn’t the will of a higher power, like Arion believed? What if it’s just a meteorite? Something that could be used for the betterment of humankind?

  She felt the tug between two worlds.

  "Oh and if you’re wondering… Sam is fine,” the recording continued, “Give me a call back and I will let you two talk. Let the bygones be bygones, lets start fresh, yes I lied to you, but you lied to me as well. We’re even as far as I’m concerned. But no more games. Bring me the half crystal you hold and I promise a safe passage out of country for you and Sam.” Curls said simply.

  “You have the power, Julia. To help Sam, to help yourself and the world with a far better future. Call me back when you’ve made your mind."

  The message beeped as the recording ended.

  She slowly lowered the phone, her fingers trembling as she powered it off. She slipped the phone back into her pocket. The garden felt colder now. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at nothing.

  Should I call him back?

  Then she realized the low murmur from the shed had stopped.

  Julia’s breath caught. She turned her head slightly. Through the thin pane of the shed window, she could see him.

  Arion stood just inside the doorway, the dim light behind him casting his figure in shadow. Ismail was saying something—she could see his mouth moving—but Arion wasn’t looking at him.

  He was looking at her. Not accusing or angry. Just simply watching her.

  The distance between them felt suddenly immense. Her pulse quickened.

  Did he hear it?

  His expression was unreadable. Calm and steady like always. As if he already knew.

  Julia held his gaze for a moment longer than she meant to. Something tightened in her chest, perhaps guilt or maybe defiance, she wasn’t sure.

  He didn’t move toward her or call her.

  Ismail’s voice rose faintly behind him, breaking the silence. Arion finally turned his head slightly in response —but only after Julia looked away first.

  She exhaled slowly. But his stare lingered in her mind, swirling like smoke. She didn’t know what to do anymore. All she knew was that she had to get Sam and leave the country.

  Whatever it took.

  ***