"Second Thoughts"- Rian/Deet
The sight of the great mouth of the back entrance to the catacombs makes him freeze for a moment, just as imposing as it had seemed when he was a child- perhaps moreso, now that he is older and better understands the gravity of danger. Its shape is appropriate- the prospect of this plan feels like walking willingly into the jaws of a monster, but they have no other choice. Where they are- scattered, overwhelmed, terrified- is unsustainable. They will not last- they need to end this now.
He shakes his head to clear it- he cannot afford this hesitation. Gurjin and Naia have only bought them so much time with this entrance unguarded. He has almost worked up the nerve to move forward when a hand catches his arm.
“Are you...sure?” Deet asks, not for the first time. The Darkening has left its scars on her even after its release, pale lines snaking across her skin like arathim’s webs, a film of white obscuring the deep wells of her eyes. It has marked her in other ways too- in the way she trails off and struggles for words, in how quickly she tires, in the fitful way she sleeps in his arms at night. It is a miracle it didn’t do worse, and confirms what he has always suspected- that despite her soft heart, she is more resilient than any of them. She is still so beautiful he can hardly stand it, and to be able to touch her again is worth everything they have been through. And if he can heal the Crystal and their world, perhaps she can begin to heal as well.
He isn’t sure about any of this, but that thought gives him the courage he needs. The shard is heavy in his pocket, and the weight of this task even greater. He nods and leans in, kissing her scarred forehead, then her lips. “I’ll be alright,” he murmurs with more certainty than he feels. Recalling his words from what feels like another time, he smiles. “It will be better. Soon. I promise.”
That makes her smile, and he holds onto it like a ray of sunshine as he descends into the darkness.