The silence in the underground chamber was thick, oppressive, as if the very walls were holding their breath. The cold light of the crystal at the room's center pulsed faintly, casting strange shadows over Lumumba and Jon's tense faces. Before them, Raven stood calm and collected, his eyes locked on Lumumba with that piercing gaze, capable of seeing beyond surface-level bravado.
Lumumba's eyes were fixed on the crystal, a dangerous curiosity flickering in them. He could feel the energy emanating from the anchor—a power he didn't fully understand but knew was key to returning home. Everything inside him urged him to act, to seize the crystal and use it to open a passage back to his world. But deep down, a small voice—weak but persistent—warned him to be careful.
"What are you waiting for?" Jon asked nervously, his voice taut. "Raven's here. It's a trap. He wants us to do something stupid."
Lumumba didn't answer immediately, his gaze still locked on the crystal. "Maybe he wants us to hesitate too," he finally replied, without taking his eyes off the glowing stone.
Raven stepped forward, his movements as smooth as a serpent gliding through the shadows. "Oh, your hesitation has nothing to do with me, Lumumba. It's your instinct, as always, leading you astray."
"You talk a lot about instinct for a guy who thinks he's above it all," Lumumba shot back, finally lifting his katana, his expression defiant. "So, what's your plan, Raven? You drag us down here to show off your magic rock and expect us to sit through your threats?"
A subtle smile crept across Raven's lips. "I don't need to threaten. I'm simply offering you a choice."
Jon, pale and tense, stared at Raven, fear evident in his eyes. "A choice? That's your big plan? Put us in front of some impossible decision?"
Raven turned his gaze to Jon, studying him like a chess player evaluating a pawn. "You're already in the midst of an impossible decision, Jon. This crystal... as you've guessed, is an anchor. It can open doors between worlds, yes, but it can also destroy the balance between them. Use it, and you might return home, Lumumba. But there will be a cost."
"What kind of cost?" Jon asked, his voice tight with dread.
"The kind you're not ready to pay," Raven replied with a chilling calm. "Opening a rift between worlds could create a ripple effect. A tear in the fabric of reality. Dimensions would collapse, overlap. You might return home, Lumumba, but the price would be the destruction of everything you've touched here."
Lumumba frowned, gripping the hilt of his katana tighter. "Same old speech: 'chaos is dangerous, everything has a cost.' So what, Raven? You think I'll just walk away and let you have your way with the fissures?"
Raven's smile deepened. "I'm not trying to control you. I'm giving you the necessary information. This crystal is a tool, a weapon. Like all weapons, it can be used to create or to destroy. The choice is yours on how to wield it."
Jon stepped closer to Lumumba, his voice low and almost pleading. "You know we can't trust him. He's manipulating us. He knows exactly what he's doing. If you touch that crystal, it's over. Everything could be wiped out."
A heavy silence settled over the room. Lumumba looked at Jon, then back at the crystal, and finally to Raven. Jon's words echoed in his mind, but the temptation of the power in front of him was hard to ignore. To finally go home… But at what cost? Was he willing to risk the destruction of this world to save his own?
Raven, ever impassive, broke the silence. "You stand at a crossroads, Lumumba. Become the master of your own fate or the instrument of chaos. But know this: if you don't use this power, others will. And their intentions will be far less noble than yours."
Jon took a step forward, gently grabbing Lumumba's arm. "Please. We'll find another way. Amara might have more information, or someone else. This crystal… it's what Raven wants us to use. You can't give him what he wants."
Lumumba turned his gaze to Jon, his face more serious than it had been in a long time. "You really think I'd do that? Risk everything just to get out of here?"
Jon nodded, his voice trembling. "I know you're not like that, but it's… it's Raven. He's messing with our heads. Don't let him get to you."
For the first time in days, Lumumba was silent, weighing Jon's words against Raven's temptations. The conflict inside him was palpable. This wasn't just a tactical decision—it was a moral dilemma. Leave and save himself, or stay and protect a world that, despite everything, had given him a place.
Raven interrupted his thoughts, speaking one last time. "Think carefully, Lumumba. This crystal could give you what you desire most. But it's only worth something if you're willing to take it."
Lumumba slowly turned his gaze back to the crystal, feeling the weight of his decision in every fiber of his being. Then, with a sharp exhale, he sheathed his katana and stepped back. "I don't play by your rules, Raven. Maybe this crystal is the key, but that's not how I do things."
A flicker of irritation, almost imperceptible, crossed Raven's face before his expression returned to its usual icy calm. "Very well. Time will tell if you've made the right choice. But know this: you haven't stopped the game. You've merely moved a piece."
Lumumba shrugged, looking more relaxed now. "Good. I like flipping the board anyway."
Raven's form began to melt into the shadows, his figure disappearing into the surrounding darkness. "We'll meet again, Lumumba. And when that time comes, you'll finally understand the truth about control and chaos."
As Raven vanished, silence filled the room once more. Jon let out a long sigh of relief, but his hands were still shaking slightly. "You almost did it, didn't you?"
Lumumba gave him a half-smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Maybe. But I guess I like making my own mess too much to take the easy way out."
Jon smiled faintly, though the worry remained in his eyes. "Do you really think we can trust him… even a little?"
Lumumba glanced at the crystal one last time before turning away. "No. But sometimes, even a lie shows you the truth. We're not done with him, Jon. Not by a long shot."