Kaida watched Zara with a mix of curiosity and unease. They had barely survived the Crimson Labyrinth, but Zara didn't seem fazed. If anything, the other woman appeared even more detached than usual, her gaze distant as though the ordeal had stirred something deep within her.
"You okay?" Kaida ventured, breaking the silence.
Zara blinked, snapping back to the present. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
Kaida raised an eyebrow. "You're not exactly radiating your usual snarky charm."
Zara smirked faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Don't get used to it, newbie. Everyone gets one free pass."
Kaida didn't press further, though she couldn't shake the feeling that Zara was holding something back.
Axis interrupted the moment, its monotone voice filling the air. "The next trial is several zones away. You must proceed to the Obsidian Fields."
"Great," Kaida muttered. "More walking."
"Better than falling into pits of spikes," Zara said.
They began their journey, the landscape shifting around them with every step. Ethereal Nexus was unpredictable—one moment, they were walking through a serene meadow, and the next, jagged obsidian cliffs jutted up around them like teeth.
As they walked, Kaida decided to prod Zara for answers.
"So, what's your deal?" Kaida asked casually.
Zara glanced at her. "My deal?"
"You know, why you're here, how you're so good at this, why you're not completely freaking out like I am."
Zara laughed—a short, bitter sound. "You think I'm not freaking out? Trust me, newbie, I've just had more practice."
Kaida frowned. "Practice at what?"
"Surviving," Zara said simply, her tone flat.
They stopped to rest in a cavern, the obsidian walls glowing faintly with an eerie light. Zara sat cross-legged near the entrance, fiddling with the pendant she had shown Kaida earlier.
Kaida hesitated before speaking. "That pendant… it means something to you, doesn't it?"
Zara looked up, her expression guarded. "It's none of your business."
"Maybe not," Kaida said, "but we're stuck in this together. You don't have to tell me everything, but maybe talking about it will help."
Zara studied her for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. You want to know why I'm here? It's not because I love the thrill of the Nexus or because I'm some kind of badass."
Kaida tilted her head. "Then why?"
Zara held up the pendant. "This belonged to my sister. Her name was Elara. She was… everything to me."
Kaida's breath caught. "What happened to her?"
"She's gone," Zara said softly, her voice tinged with pain. "She was one of the first people to enter the Nexus. She thought it was going to be a utopia—a place where anything was possible. But she disappeared during a trial, and no one could find her. Not in the real world, not here."
Kaida was silent, letting the weight of Zara's words sink in.
"I joined the Nexus to find her," Zara continued. "Or at least to find out what happened to her. Every trial I survive, every challenge I complete—it's all to get closer to the truth."
Kaida leaned back, processing Zara's story. "That's… heavy. I'm sorry."
Zara shrugged, though her expression was tight. "Don't be. It's just how things are."
"You don't have to do this alone," Kaida said quietly.
Zara looked at her, something flickering in her eyes—surprise, maybe even gratitude—but she quickly masked it with her usual bravado. "Don't get sappy on me, newbie. You've got enough to worry about without adding my baggage to the pile."
Kaida smiled faintly. "Too late."
Their moment of camaraderie was interrupted by a low growl echoing through the cavern. Kaida froze, her heart pounding.
"What was that?" she whispered.
Zara was already on her feet, her blade drawn. "Stay close."
From the shadows, creatures emerged—large, wolf-like beasts with glowing red eyes and obsidian bodies that seemed to absorb the light around them.
"Obsidian Stalkers," Axis said. "Highly aggressive. Avoid their claws."
Kaida activated her Energy Shield, her hands trembling. "Avoid their claws? Great advice, Axis!"
The first Stalker lunged, its claws scraping against Zara's blade as she deflected its attack. Kaida fired a bolt of energy from her bracelet, striking another Stalker and sending it skidding across the ground.
"Not bad, newbie!" Zara called, slashing through another beast.
"Thanks! I think!" Kaida shouted, dodging a swipe from a particularly large Stalker.
The fight was chaotic, but Kaida and Zara managed to hold their ground. When the last Stalker dissolved into smoke, Kaida collapsed against the cavern wall, panting.
"Do they ever let up?" she gasped.
"Not in the Nexus," Zara said, offering her a hand.
Kaida took it, pulling herself up. "Remind me again why you willingly came here?"
Zara smiled faintly. "Because sometimes, the only way to find what you've lost is to go where no one else will."
As they resumed their journey, Kaida couldn't help but feel a newfound respect for Zara. Beneath the sarcasm and bravado was someone who had faced more loss and pain than Kaida could imagine—and yet, she kept going.
"Zara?" Kaida said after a while.
"Yeah?"
"I hope you find her."
Zara glanced at her, and for the first time, her smile was genuine. "Thanks, newbie."
The path ahead was still uncertain, but for the first time, Kaida felt like she wasn't facing it alone.