Emerald's panic rose with each passing second as she searched through her belongings again, more frantically this time. The crystal amulet… their only weapon against Alia, was gone.
"It has to be here," she muttered, checking the same pockets she'd already searched twice. "It has to be."
"Emerald…"
"Help me search the tent!" She began tearing through their supplies, throwing items aside carelessly. "It might have fallen out when we set up shelter."
Ares joined her, carefully checking every corner of the small tent while Emerald's search grew increasingly desperate. After several minutes, he stopped.
"It's not here."
"Then I must have dropped it during the fight," Emerald said, already moving toward the tent entrance. "We need to go back. Now."
"Absolutely not." Ares blocked her path. "You're barely recovered from your wounds. You still have a fever. Going back there is suicide."
