POV: Jenna
The chamber was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint crackling of energy dissipating from the shattered fragments of the stone. Jenna sat on the ground, leaning heavily on her crowbar as her zombie gang formed a protective circle around her.
"So, we did it?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "Is the glowing death rock officially dead?"
"It's shattered," Carl said, his sword still in hand as he scanned the room. "But I'm not sure that means it's over."
Rick crouched near the fragments, his knife still at the ready. "He's right. We need to be careful. Whatever energy that stone held—it might not be gone yet."
Jenna groaned, letting her head fall back. "Great. Can't we just have one clear win? Just one?"
---
POV: Rick
Rick examined the largest fragment of the stone, its faint glow flickering like a dying ember. The energy radiating from it was weaker, but it was still there—a quiet, pulsing reminder of the power it had once held.
"This thing isn't done," Rick said, his voice grim. "We stopped it from growing stronger, but whatever's left… it's dangerous."
Sarah leaned against the wall, her crowbar resting on her shoulder. "So what do we do? Smash it into even smaller pieces?"
Rick shook his head. "That might make it worse. We need to contain it somehow."
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna perked up slightly at Rick's words, a grin spreading across her face. "Contain it, you say? Oh, I've got just the thing for that."
Carl raised an eyebrow. "Jenna, no."
Jenna ignored him, reaching into her portal. With a dramatic flourish, she pulled out a rusted metal lunchbox. "Behold! The perfect containment unit."
Sarah snorted, trying to stifle a laugh. "You're kidding, right?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Jenna replied, holding the lunchbox aloft. "This baby's got a latch and everything. Totally secure."
Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jenna—"
"Hey, you said we needed to contain it," Jenna interrupted, opening the lunchbox with a grin. "And this is me, being a team player. You're welcome."
---
POV: Carl
Carl watched in exasperation as Jenna carefully scooped the largest fragment of the stone into the lunchbox. The faint glow dimmed even further, but the air around it still crackled with energy.
"This is a bad idea," Carl said, his tone flat.
Jenna snapped the lunchbox shut, holding it up triumphantly. "No, this is a brilliant idea. I'm a genius."
"More like a lunatic," Carl muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
---
POV: Rick
Rick crossed his arms, eyeing the lunchbox warily. "We'll need to monitor it. If the energy starts building up again, we'll have to deal with it immediately."
"Relax," Jenna said, tucking the lunchbox into her portal. "It's safe. Probably."
Rick shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Why do I feel like this is going to come back to haunt us?"
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna stood, brushing the dust off her clothes. "Alright, team. Mission accomplished. Can we go now? Because I'm about two seconds from passing out."
Carl stepped closer, his gaze steady. "Can you walk?"
"Define 'walk,'" Jenna replied, leaning on her crowbar for support. "Because I'm more of a 'hobble dramatically' kind of gal right now."
Carl sighed, offering her his arm. "Let's move."
Jenna grinned, taking his arm. "Aw, Carl. You're such a gentleman."
"Don't push it," Carl said, though his tone was softer than usual.
---
POV: Sarah
As the group made their way out of the cavern, Sarah glanced back at the pit. The faint glow from the remaining fragments was barely visible now, but it still sent a shiver down her spine.
"Do you think it's really over?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Rick didn't answer right away. He glanced at Jenna, who was joking with Carl despite her exhaustion, and then at the zombie gang, who were still on high alert.
"No," Rick said finally. "But it's a start."
---
POV: Kane
Far beneath the earth, the remnants of the stone pulsed faintly, their energy spreading through the surrounding rock. Kane's voice echoed one last time, a faint whisper carried by the lingering power. "You cannot contain what is eternal."
---
POV: Jenna
As the group emerged from the bunker, the fresh air hit Jenna like a wave. She took a deep breath, leaning heavily on Carl. "Well, that was horrible. Let's never do that again."
"Agreed," Carl said, helping her steady herself.
Jenna glanced at her zombie gang, who were growling softly as they scanned the horizon. She managed a weak smile. "Good work, guys. You're all getting extra head pats tonight."
Rick shook his head, his expression grim. "We need to regroup and figure out our next move. This isn't over."
"It never is," Jenna muttered, glancing at the horizon. The sun was rising, casting a warm glow over the desolate landscape. For the first time in a long while, she allowed herself a flicker of hope.