[Ovelia's POV]
The world shifted around me as I activated the familiar sigil—colors bleeding into existence where before there had been only the dim wagon interior. Auras swirled around each of my companions: Ace's silver-blue, steady and strong; Ray's warm Earthy brown; Ann's complex violet threaded with black; Gale's prismatic storm.
Questions crowded my mind. What did these colors mean? Was there significance to the way they moved, the patterns they formed? Before I could ask, Gale spoke.
"Ovelia, listen carefully." His voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and serious in a way that made my spine straighten automatically. "Once you enter the archives, you won't be able to hear me until you return. The connection will still exist—I'll feel you—but communication won't work. So pay attention."
I nodded, but doubt whispered in the back of my mind. Can I really do this?
