The farther they traveled, the quieter Pandora became.

The thick forests slowly disappeared behind them, replaced by towering cliffs of dark stone and endless fog. The air grew colder, the sounds of the jungle fading until only the wind remained.

Ahead of them was the canyon.

It looked like a wound carved into the earth itself. The canyon was impossibly deep, and the fog below was so thick, making it seem bottomless.

Lyle stepped closer to the edge, looking down.

"Well...that's inviting."

Miles ignored him, staring into the fog.

"Varang."

She stopped.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Below."

Miles looked at the endless drop.

"Below?"

"You want allies. You must trust me."

A silence followed.

Lyle glanced at the canyon, then at Varang.

"You know..I've been to some weird places, but this takes the cake."

Varang simply walked forward.

The Mangkwan followed without hesitation.

Then suddenly, they jumped, one after another. Miles' heart dropped for a second.

Lyle stared into the thick fog.

"Either they know what they're doing..."

He looked at Miles.

"...or this is the dumbest thing we've ever done."

Miles looked down.

"I hate this planet."

Lyle smirked.

"Get in line."

And then they jumped.

After the jump, the fog swallows them.

For a few seconds, there is nothing.

Just wind.

Then—

Huge vines stretch between the cliffs, hidden by the mist. They catch onto them, guiding them downward like a natural pathway. The deeper they go, the more the world changes.

They reach the ground, locking eyes with Varang.

Then they saw the clan.

They were..different. Calm in a very scary way. Their skin was pale, almost white, they weren't smiling, but they weren't frowning like the Mangkwan either. They lived there, hidden, away from prying eyes.

Then Varang's sister, the Tsahìk stepped forward. She didn't say anything, but her eyes locked on Lyle. She circled him, examining him from head to toe.

"You always inspect people this closely, or am I special?"

Lyle joked, but she just kept going, ignoring him completely.

Then he noticed Varang, something in her eyes told him this was all her doing.

Little did he know, Varang promised her sister a mate in exchange for sacrificing her warriors. That mate was currently being thoroughly inspected by {{user}}.