I wokeup the next morning with a pounding headache. Cold gray sunlight streamed through the small viewport, painfully bright against my sensitive eyes. I groaned, rolling over to find Kora's bunk already empty.
I dressed quickly, splashing cold water on my face from the basin before heading to the galley in search of food and, more importantly, water. The ship seemed unusually quiet, most of the crew likely still sleeping off the effects of Tor's brew.
Instead of the empty galley I expected, I found Jask and Cypher hunched over a large parchment spread across the table. They both looked up as I entered, Jask offering a quick nod while Cypher's eyes lingered, assessing me from head to toe.
"You look terrible," Jask said cheerfully, pushing a mug of something steaming toward me. "Drink this. Zoya's special hangover cure."
I eyed the murky liquid suspiciously. "Is it going to make me vomit? Because I'd rather just suffer."
"Only if you think about what's in it," he replied with a wink.
I took a cautious sip. It tasted of ginger and something more bitter, but not entirely unpleasant. "What are you two doing? Planning another scouting mission?"
"More than that," Cypher said, gesturing for me to join them. "Come look, scavenger."
I moved closer, peering at what I now recognized as a detailed map of the surrounding area. It extended far beyond the ruined port where we were moored, showing mountain ranges to the north, vast plains to the east, and the frozen ocean stretching westward.
Small notations covered the parchment in Cypher's scrawled handwriting—soil composition, elevation changes, potential water sources. A large circle had been drawn around an area about twenty miles north of our position.
"What's this?" I asked, pointing to the circle.
"The ideal location for our settlement. Protected by mountains on three sides, with natural runoff channels for when we introduce water. The soil there is remarkably intact, better than anywhere else we've found."
I looked up, surprised. "You're serious about settling here? In this dead realm?"
"Dead for now," Jask corrected. "But with the Genesis Engine, we could revive it." Make it a new Nytheris."
"This realm has everything we need in theory. It's remote enough to hide from the Assembly and even Gideon, large enough to support millions, and the portal is stable, which means reliable access to the Gallery for trade."
I studied the map more carefully. They'd clearly covered miles in every direction, cataloging resources and potential hazards with meticulous care. They'd been planning this for years, so I suppose it shouldn't have surprised me.
"It's perfect," Cypher said softly. "Better than I'd hoped to find. With the right application of the Genesis Engine, we could have flowing water within months, vegetation within a year."
My gaze flickered towards the galley viewport, skeptically eyeing the small white sun. "It's too cold to sustain life here."
Jask and Cyper glanced at each other before turning back to me. "That's another reason we need the Engine. The power it wields has the potential to restart the star, or maybe even create a new one in its place."
I shook my head, eyes wide. "That's insanity…"
"There's just one problem," Jask added, his expression sobering. "We still have to locate the Engine."
The excitement in Cypher's eyes dimmed slightly. "This is where you come in, scavenger."
My stomach dropped as I realized what he was asking. "You want me to connect to the First Dark again."
"You're the only one who can," he said, not unkindly. "The Engine exists somewhere in that space between realms. Your connection to the First Dark is our only hope of finding it."
I set down the mug, suddenly not thirsty. The memory of my last encounter with the First Dark—the cold, the darkness, the whispering voices—made my skin crawl.
"I don't know how to control it," I said. "Last time,itreached for me. I didn't reach forit."
"But you got us out," Cypher noted. "You brought us back to the ship through sheer will. That proves you can direct the connection when necessary."
I wanted to argue, to remind him how terrifying that experience had been, but the hope in his eyes stopped me. Tobe honest, this is why I stayed with them, or why I planned to before we were run out of the Prime Realm. It was the right thing to do, even if it terrified me.
"I'll try," I said finally, running a hand through my hair. "But I can't promise anything."
Relief washed across Cypher's face. "That's all I ask."
