As they spoke, the mountain shuddered, and a cold electric current traveled down the gate and through the magma, stopping it in its tracks. The air crackled and spit, and the gate cracked.

“Its not opening,” Ceron said, “it’s breaking.”

“Keepers,” Eva said, “to the stairs.”

They ran five steps up, and the gate continued to deteriorate until all that was left was a mound of dust. Eva wrapped a piece of cloth around her wrist and wiped her hand on her pants. A cool breeze escaped from the open entry, but the light of their ellamp stopped at the threshold, unable to pierce the darkness beyond. The sound of something dragging across the floor sounded from within the chamber. “It’s an ocular barrier,” Eva said and drew her sword. “Agim, join Ilona and heighten our defenses.”

“With the same incantation or a different one?” he asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Do it now. We’re all bound to each other, so use a strong one.”

Agim drew his sword as well. “If I do the same one then—”

A raspy voice echoed from the shadows. “Too late.” A whirring sound rushed toward them, and a thin apparatus flashed through the air, reached towards Ilona, and stabbed through her defenses. It wrapped around her neck in an instant, pulled her off her feet, and dragged her over the mound and through the doorway.

“Ilona!” Ceron shouted.

“Keepers move forward,” Eva said, “Agim, I don’t care what incantation you use. Do it now.”

Ceron and Eva cautiously made their way up the mound of dust, and Agim began to incant while following close behind. Eva felt a tingle run up her arm from her wound. Their blood would make Agim’s incantation stronger. But what about Ilona’s incantation? Was it ineffective, did she say a word wrong, or… Eva paused before moving past the barrier. She recited a small incantation, enhancing the bond between them, but Ilona’s presence was gone, disappeared with her beyond the barrier. She pushed closer to Ceron and Agim’s minds, opening a path for communication.

Ceron, she said.

Ready, he replied.

Agim, stay close, Eva said.

Then Eva and Ceron cautiously made their way past the barrier, with an ellamp hovering close by. Agim followed behind them, still incanting. The darkness that had blocked them from seeing inside gave way to a large chamber. Dirt was scattered across the floor, and six creatures stood across from them with long, wiry appendages hanging from their torsos. Ilona lay at the center of the room, unconscious.

“Thank you,” one creature said, “for opening that.” And their wiry limbs lashed out from across the room. Eva caught one on the edge of her sword, and redirected it towards the wall, but one pierced her calf, sending volts of electricity through her. She fell to the ground and grabbed her leg. Blood. She heard a groan from Ceron’s direction and saw one appendage buried in his chest. A shudder ran through her as she felt her connection to Ceron being severed. Eva rolled onto her side, expelled the object from her, and reaching for Ceron once again with her mind. His chest was rising and falling, but she couldn’t reach him.

“Ceron,” she yelled, “don’t close yourself off!”

Eva pushed herself to her feet, and stumbled forward, pain radiating up from her leg. She felt the bridge from her to Agim waiver, and she reached out to strengthen the ties between them. Agim was fading. She looked back, and he was kneeling near the entrance with his sword on the ground next to him.

“Agim, stand up.”

He looked up at her.

“You saw what those were.”

“Stand up!”

“Those are—”

“Agim!” she shouted.

“What’s happening?” The Kevah’s voice echoed in their minds, and a picture flashed in her mind of one guard and the Kevah standing near the first gate.

“Kevah-lin?”

The Kevah was bound to them; she’d made a mistake. But, there was no time to undo it. She cut ties with Agim, and strengthened the bridge between herself, the guard, and the Kevah. She pooled their energy together and began to incant for a new barrier to replace the gate that was now gone. But the six creatures ran towards her. Eva planted her feet and tightened her grip around the hilt of her sword, and one creature spoke and flung a mass of energy against her, shattered her blade and sent her hurtling against the wall. A crack resounded when her head collided with the stone surface. She could hear Agim’s muffled voice next to her, but couldn’t make out the words.

“Ceron,” Eva mumbled, “Get Ceron and Ilona and make a new barrier.” No response. She turned, and no one was there.

A shadow cast itself over her. She looked up, and one of the beings was standing in front of her. With the face, legs and arms of a man, but the body and limbs of something else, something she’d never seen before… its tall frame leaned down, and with one hand, it reached out to touch her neck and spoke, but the sounds were only ringing in her ears. “I can’t hear you,” she said.

Which one of you opened the gate? The figure’s mouth didn’t move. But its voice resonated in her mind. She didn’t respond, and it stared at her for a moment with its unblinking eyes. One of its companions called to it, and it stood and turned its back to her. Eva moved to try to follow, but the world around her spun. She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself, and the sound of its footsteps grew distant. She forced her eyes open to see them moving towards the far wall, where a door was now standing open. Her head was pounding and her vision was fading. She looked for Ceron and Ilona. Ilona was still there. But Ceron was no longer on the floor in front of her. He was gone, and Eva’s vision went dark.

I promise.