"The Temple of Stillness"
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The hovercraft cut through Solara's upper air in a smooth, steady line, its engines holding a disciplined hum that spoke of precision rather than speed.
Below them, red sand stretched outward in quiet dominance, broken only by stubborn veins of grass that refused to yield entirely to the desert. Stone rose in layered shelves and cliffs, weathered smooth by centuries of wind and heat, their surfaces catching Solara's light in dull copper and gold.
Ahead, the mountains parted.
Weaver leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.
"There," he said, lifting a hand. "The center."
Jax adjusted his course.
Through the visor of his helmet, the world sharpened. Filters slid into place, isolating energy signatures from heat distortion and glare. Three currents revealed themselves at once — Solara's radiant pull, Virel's steady blue presence, and Nexon's darker thread.
The purple was faint.
Present, but strained.
Jax frowned.
"I've got it," he said. "Thane — lock the coordinates and ping them back to HQ."
Thane's hands moved across the console without hesitation.
"Coordinates locked," he replied. "Ping sent."
Weaver settled back into his seat beside Allium, his threads tightening gently around the medical bed to absorb any vibration. Allium remained still, breath shallow but even, his glow dim beneath bandages.
Weaver looked up.
"Rose," he said calmly, "how are we feeling?"
Rose sat opposite him, her posture relaxed in a way that still felt unfamiliar. She studied the space around her — not the craft, not the horizon, but the quiet pool of energy she carried now.
"It's familiar," she said slowly. "But I'm not sure how to use it correctly."
Weaver tilted his head.
"It is yours," he said. "Is it not?"
She shrugged faintly.
"It is me," Rose answered. "But holding back was my instinct before. In every fight. Every moment. This feels… different."
Weaver extended his threads slightly, not touching her, only observing the resonance.
"This is the calmest your mind and soul have ever been," he said. "Trust yourself. Breathe."
Cassidy leaned back in her seat, arms folded loosely.
"Yeah," she added, glancing at Rose. "Usually I just see you grunt or tense up. You seem… chill."
Rose nodded once.
"I am really cold."
Cassidy snorted softly.
"No — I mean relaxed."
Rose looked at her, puzzled for a beat.
"Oh," she said. "Yeah. I'm not fighting anything. It's… odd."
Jax's voice cut in over the internal comms.
"Five minutes to arrival."
The hovercraft descended, the Temple of Stillness coming into view as they approached.
From above, the convergence was unmistakable.
Three energies flowed inward, drawn toward a single point like rivers meeting stone. Solara burned brightest, Virel steady beneath it, and Nexon's purple thread barely visible — thin, restrained, but undeniably present.
The craft touched down below the convergence, settling near a natural staircase carved into the stone itself. Time had softened its edges, dust settling deep into cracks that looked older than memory.
The ramp lowered.
Warm air rolled in, carrying the scent of sand and stone.
Rose stepped out first.
The familiar colors grounded her instantly — red earth, pale grass clinging stubbornly to life, heat that felt honest rather than oppressive.
Cassidy followed, stretching slightly.
"I am so happy to see sand," she said, looking around. "And red. Not that Virel wasn't… pretty, but that pressure was intense."
Rose nodded.
Weaver emerged carefully, threads wrapped securely around Allium's bed. Every step was precise, controlled, reverent.
"The stairs will take us to the entrance," he said. "Let's not waste time."
Jax stepped down beside him, Thane at his shoulder.
In Jax's hands were flat boards — sleek, dense, humming softly with a stabilizer tone that vibrated just beneath hearing.
Grav boards.
He handed one to each of them.
"No stairs," Jax said simply. "No wasted time. We rise."
Weaver stared down at the device in his hands.
"I have never used this," he said.
Cassidy grinned, stepping closer.
"Don't worry, grandpa. I'll teach you."
Weaver sighed.
"I suppose," he said dryly, "I'll indulge you."
Cassidy placed her board on the stone and stepped onto it.
It lifted smoothly, responding instantly to her weight.
"Okay," she said. "Just place it down. It'll rise on its own. Built-in stabilizers keep you from eating dirt."
Weaver followed her instructions.
The board lifted.
He stiffened instinctively, eyes fixed on the ground below.
"…Now what?" he asked.
Cassidy raised her left foot slightly — not lifting it fully, just easing the pressure.
The board ascended a little more.
She set her foot back down, stopping the motion.
"All you gotta do," she said, "is shift pressure. Not off — just lighter."
Rose watched carefully.
When she stepped onto her board, it responded immediately, lifting her in a smooth, controlled ascent. No hesitation. No wobble.
Weaver nodded.
"Simple enough."
He adjusted his stance, rising slowly, Allium's bed moving with him, perfectly level.
Cassidy smiled.
"There you go. Not hard."
Jax and Thane followed, their movements practiced and efficient.
Rose reached the top first.
The Temple of Stillness stood open to the sky — ancient stone softened by moss and age, cracks filled with dust so old it looked settled rather than broken.
The structure was old.
But it did not feel abandoned.
At its center lay a slab of stone worn smooth by time.
The three energies converged there.
Weaver arrived moments later, guiding Allium gently forward. The energies responded immediately — not surging, not pulling — simply acknowledging him with careful, restrained touch.
"This is where he was first formed," Weaver said quietly. "The one place where all three energies learned to move together."
He lowered Allium onto the slab.
The glow around him steadied.
Rose stepped closer.
"…What do we do?" she asked.
Weaver looked up.
Solara burned high.
Virel held steady.
Nexon's sun barely crested the distant canopy.
"For now," Weaver said, settling back on his heels, "we wait. When Nexon rises fully, I'll be able to trace its ley."
They sat.
No one spoke.
The Temple of Stillness lived up to its name.
And they waited.
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