From the corner of his eye, Sev noticed another figure approaching him just as Astel left.
"I still don't understand. What are you trying to achieve?" Max's raspy voice filled the small cave.
Sev sighed. "There's nothing to understand. Go back to sleep."
Determined, Max shook his head and stepped closer, looking up at Sev.
"Astrid isn't going to be happy, you know. Unlike you, she actually cares about us."
Sev stayed silent for a few moments. "I do car—"
Max cut him off before he could finish. "You keep saying that, but then you do things that make it seem like the opposite… Our lives are doomed, I know that, but that doesn't mean you should let us die. Not like this."
He stared at Sev's hand, the one that had been wrapped in a tight glove not long ago.
"You're not doomed; we'll find a way out… I promise."
Max frowned. "You've been looking for years. What makes you think you'll find it anytime soon?"
Then it clicked.
"…It's Astel, right?"
Sev nodded. "I think so."
"Even with his help, are you sure you can find it before… you know?" Max said, his voice shivering.
"That's why I'm testing him," Sev sighed. "No telling Astrid. Okay?"
Max hesitantly nodded. "Of course… brother."
"And don't call me that." Sev's cheeks looked slightly red-tinted, though it might've been the cold.
Max's attention turned toward the distant sky. "Do you think he'll come back?"
Sev shrugged. "I hope so."
Max crawled next to Sev, who hugged him with one hand.
Breaking the silence, Max asked, "Did you also notice Astel has been acting weird?"
"You mean since the cave?"
Max didn't answer.
"It's fine," Sev said. "I already checked—he's still the same."
The corners of Max's lips twitched. "Checked?"
Caught off guard, Sev stuttered. "Uh—I, uh, replaced only mundane stuff. Nothing… nothing important."
After staring for a few seconds, Max smiled. "Okay!" he said happily.
Sitting in silence, Max asked once more, "Should we wait for him?"
"We'll go at sunrise," Sev said, sounding machine-like. "You should get some rest. We'll need to be on guard without him. Even if we're almost there—especially since we're almost there."
Max slowly stood up and walked back to his— for lack of a better word—bed. He turned around one last time, holding his hand to his chest.
Sev stared at the fire, quietly whispering to himself. "Almost there…"
He reached into his mind, feeling for his small collection of notions. His attention turned to the sleeping Max.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Just as the words were about to leave his mouth, lightning struck, covering the sound of his voice.
*
The long night was washed away by bright light, and soon enough, morning came.
Quickly, the entire group woke up and gathered, departing shortly after. One last look at their camp showed a burnt-out flame, bringing a feeling of longing.
The journey wasn't long, as the group safely made it out of the dangerous cliffs and back into the wild.
The sun shone down on them as they walked across a wide, white expanse. The wind had calmed, and the snowy haze was all but gone. All around them, tall mountains rose into the sky, surrounded at their peaks by iridescent clouds.
The view was exhilarating—it was like looking at a kaleidoscope of endless color. Barely visible beyond that were countless stars of varying sizes, shining even in the bright daylight.
"It's always so beautiful, no matter how many times I see it!" Max screamed from the back, pointing to the sky.
From the front, he could hear Sev laughing. "Don't get too carried away—we still have a little bit to go."
The lost souls seemed to ignore Sev's words as their gazes followed Max's pointing hand. Almost in unison, they all gasped—some even cried at the sheer beauty of the clear sky.
It was hard to think that just seeing the sky could bring such intense emotions, but after months of a hazy, sunless world, it just felt so… natural.
Somehow, it evoked feelings of relief. Of peace. Of home.
The Land Within was truly a spectacle not many got to experience.
But it came with its downsides—as if visitors were never meant to be here.
With the haze gone, the voices in everyone's minds changed. They became clearer, almost intelligible. It was like having the words on your tongue—just out of reach.
"Everyone, please do your best to ignore the voices!"
Another shout echoed from the front of the group as Sev stood facing them, his arms wide open.
"Welcome to the Land Within—or as some of you might recognize it, the collective subconscious."
He paused, taking a deep breath.
"I cannot guarantee your survival from this point on, as it depends solely on you. The voices you hear are the unfiltered thoughts of millions of people—each idea, word, or image clashing to create that maddening murmur."
He pointed at his head. "If you listen too closely, your mind will collapse—and you will die. Keep that in mind!"
The crowd went silent, as if afraid even to think.
White sparks surrounded Sev's entire body as it was clad in light silver armor etched with deep black engravings. As the armor materialized, certain imperfections and missing pieces became visible, but overall, it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a raised hand.
"Yes?"
A young woman with bronze hair and a small stature spoke in a hushed voice, barely audible.
"Are you… will you still take us to the sanctuary?"
The other lost souls looked at her trembling figure, nodding along and asking similar questions one by one.
"What will happen to us?"
"How will we live?"
"When can we go home?"
"What happens when we die here?"
Sev's mouth curled into a smile that never reached his eyes as he stared at Max.
Noticing Sev's stare, Max quickly advised the others to be quiet, nodding toward Sev when everyone was ready to listen.
"There are a lot of questions, and we only have a short amount of time before another storm comes, so I'll make this quick."
He took a deep breath. White sparks surrounded his hand, this time forming into a small bronze crown.
He raised it into the air and proclaimed, "This is a notion. It is your only source of survival in the Land Within."
He paused. "No one will give you these notions for free."
He could already see more questions forming on people's faces. Without explaining further, he continued.
"The reason you're here… is that you don't exist."
Sev could practically feel the confused stares piercing him.
"To keep on living, you need energy."
He tightened his grip as everyone watched the bronze headpiece bend and start dissolving. Then, with a loud crack, it broke—white sparks flew everywhere, some flowing into Sev's body.
"To replenish energy, you will have to destroy useful notions."
The small crowd almost erupted in defeated sighs, some falling to their knees.
"There is one more thing I have not yet told you."
The people raised their gazes to meet Sev's, full of fragile hope.
"From the moment you stepped into this world, you only have six months to live without additional energy."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard dozens of gasps.
"Six months?"
Some started crying. Others tried helping their friends and companions while barely holding themselves together.
Then a voice came from the crowd—a middle-aged man with deep black hair, much like Sev's, and a large scar running down his otherwise flawless face.
"What about the sanctuary… about home?"
Sev's expression turned serious.
"As my last act of grace toward you, I will guide you to the sanctuary—led by myself and my… my companion, Astrid the Warrior."
Sev heard whispers ripple through the small crowd.
"Praise Lady Astrid."
"Bless Lady Astrid."
The man who asked the question knelt on one knee, his gaze meeting Sev's.
"One last thing," Sev said coldly. "Do not expect to see your homes ever again. Hope is only ever met with failure."
Quietly, he added under his breath, hidden by a soft white cloud, "As I've witnessed."
Far above them, a small pair of eyes watched from a nearby peak, gazing down upon it all.