When the sobs finally subsided, Elio maintained a protective embrace around Zara.
It wasn't just comfort... it was also precaution.
He knew that look in her eyes, the same vengeful fire he had felt. He couldn't risk her going after the Artromus on her own.
Elio's core group had been reduced to eight. The familiar faces of Lila, Aria, Mei, Valeria, Zara, Brok, and Kriz surrounded him, each carrying the weight of loss differently.
But there was much to do, so he couldn't keep mourning forever.
"Thank you," Elio said, observing his now stronger companions. "For trying to come rescue me, although it wasn't necessary in the end."
The collective ascension had been impressive: all level 7, with Zara even reaching level 8 on her own. The cost of two lives weighed in the atmosphere, but it had forged the group into something stronger, more united.
