The group located an abandoned portal hub that was overgrown and worn down but provided plenty of shelter for the night. Maxxine led the group inside, watching as they began to settle down. This particular portal hub was huge, with each portal having its own room and being separated from the central area. While Vania and Xenos settled down and began to set up a suitable camp, Maxxine and Mari began to investigate the area. Neither had spoken a single word until they noticed something unusual. One of the portals was functioning, and the words above it were crossed out.

“Light Seekers.” Mari read them out loud, firmly crossing her arms as she glanced around. 

“It seems this place might not be entirely abandoned.” Maxxine stated, catching the attention of the others, who walked over to where Maxxine and Mari were. 

“We should go through!” Vania exclaimed, bouncing up and down as she looked around excitedly. Mari shook her head in disapproval.

“No, Light Seekers were known to be harboring some impure magic, as one may call it. We aren’t risking that alone.” Mari glared at the portal again, then softened her expression once she turned to face the group.

“I actually have to agree with Vania; we should explore this.” Xenos noticed Vania smile brightly, taking a step forward. He grabbed her by the shoulder. “But not tonight; wait until the next day so we don’t encounter any corrupteds or nightmares alongside any peril that may lie on the other side.”

Mari scoffed, much more hostile than a few seconds ago. Maxxine winced at her extreme reaction but nodded in agreement with Xenos and Vania. “We should also have people keep watch tonight since the portal is operating. I can take first watch-”

“Nope, I will. I’m a guardian after all.” Xenos then shot a grin at Maxxine. “And royals need their beauty sleep.”

Maxxine pinned his ears flat against his head, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment, before turning away and going to the main room. Vania and Xenos had set up a small campfire, along with rolling out blankets and mats for people to sleep on. He sighed and sat down on one of the mats. He threw his bag to the ground and looked down at his hands. This was useless; they could never succeed.

The others headed back into the main area. Vania and Mari were talking with each other, while Xenos approached Maxxine. “May I?” He gestured next to Maxxine.

“Sure.” Maxxine replied, and Xenos then kneeled down and sat beside him. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He apologized. 

“No- sorry, I’ve been really rude. You’ve been nothing but nice, and I should be the one apologizing.” Maxxine awkwardly shuffled, opening and closing his fists repetitively.

“I guess my constant teasing isn’t helpful.” Xenos chuckled softly, then looked at Maxxine with concern. “Something’s on your mind.”

“It’s nothing.” He blurted out and looked up, facing Vania and Mari. Vania was laughing as she talked with Mari; they both seemed at ease. At least Vania was. Maxxine couldn’t shake the dread that loomed over his head. The voice still felt present and watching. There was no escape. “You shouldn’t be here helping, no one should be. I didn’t even want to go.”

“Maxxine, it’s an opportunity to save everyone! We can finally be free from this darkness; we can have a normal life. Well, find a new, better normal. Because this life we have now isn’t truly living. We are all just fighting for survival and buying ourselves more time.” Xenos gestures to Vania and Mari. “Look, Vania’s trying to make the most of it. Mari knows what will happen. They are both trying to enjoy things because the reality is that no one will make it out alive. We’re dying, Maxxine, but we could fix it.”

Maxxine crossed his arms in front of himself, his hands held on tightly as he attempted to comfort himself. His stomach turned toward the future, which he so desperately wanted to ignore. He would have done anything to be able to see the situation for more than it was—a death sentence. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, before facing Xenos. “Have you ever had a secret, one that determines someone’s fate?”

Xenos had a thoughtful gaze in his eyes, then nodded. “I have; I suppose that I won’t pry you to share, though, if it’s that big. It's best to keep people safe, isn’t it?”

“What if you’ve already shared it, and now you don’t know what will happen?” Maxxine then looked away. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be ranting about this-”

“No- no, you are fine-! You’re fine!” Xenos instantly reassured, and Maxxine slightly smiled.

“Thanks.”

“No problem!” Xenos then looked at the bag on the floor, he picked it up and looked inside. Maxxine was too distracted by his own thoughts, then glanced over to see Xenos pulling something out of the bag. His notebook. “Hmm, may I look at your book?”

“Uh, sure, I guess. There is nothing really interesting in it.” Maxxine watched Xenos flip through the pages. There were various random notes on different colonies, history, corrupteds and nightmares. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Vania skips on over, dragging Mari behind her. She stops and squats down to be closer to eye level with Xenos and Maxxine. “HAS HE DRAWN YOU YET?”

Maxxine ripped the notebook from Xenos’ hands and slapped Vania with it. “SHUT UP!” 

"OW, YOU HIT MY NOSE!” Vania rubbed her hand against the side of her face with an overdramatic, quivering frown. Mari reached up and kissed Vania on the cheek.

“Babe, let's leave the grouchy gay alone, he’ll realize one day.” Mari grabbed Vania’s hand and led her away as the two began to settle down for the night. Maxxine felt his face burn bright red, holding the notebook to his chest.

“What was that about?” Xenos laughed awkwardly.

“She’s annoying.” Maxxine mumbled and refused to face Xenos. 

“Well, I will leave you be.” Xenos got up. “I’ll take watch for the night.” He walked off and headed to the separate room with the portal. Maxxine put the notebook back in the bag, closing it and tucking it off to the side. He laid down with his hands resting under his head, staring up at the ceiling. He felt consumed by his thoughts, but shockingly, those tormenting thoughts were what started to slowly drag him to sleep.

“No. No no no! Leave-” Maxxine felt himself being shaken awake, sitting up instantly, and breathing heavily. He made eye contact with the person who woke him, Xenos.

“You were talking in your sleep; you seemed worried. I thought I should wake you.” Xenos explained, sitting in front of him. Maxxine looked over Xenos’ shoulder and saw Vania, sound asleep and unharmed. He pulled his knees to his chest, resting his elbows on his knees and his head against his palms.

“Sorry, bad dream.”

“It’s fine, do you want to talk?” 

Maxxine hesitated, he readjusted himself and lifted his head up off his palms. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m a good listener.” Xenos gave a goofy smile, an attempt to relax Maxxine a bit.

“It’s just,” Maxxine trailed off. He tried to see if he’d hear that voice again, but nothing. “Remember the thing about secrets I brought up before? Well, I didn’t keep it a secret. And that’s what worries me.”

Xenos’ expression shifted to worry. “Explain?”

“The visions. Vania was the first to know, and I specifically heard it tell me not to tell anyone. Something was wrong with her in the visions I had, and I’m scared what will happen-” Maxxine felt himself being dragged into a hug.

“Listen, you don’t need to do this alone, I’ll help you protect her. Protect her and Mari.” Xenos held Maxxine tightly, then he loosened his arms and placed his hands on Maxxine’s shoulders.

“It’s not your responsibility, even as a guardian. This is bigger than all of us.”

“It is, not as a guardian. I want to help. You don’t understand, I need to help you all with this.” Xenos reassured him, looking down at Maxxine with a hopeful expression.

“Thank you. I just don’t want people to get hurt. I don’t want people to die because of my failures.” Maxxine spoke fearfully. He gently moved Xenos’ hands away and stood up, walking towards the room with the active portal. “I don’t want to proceed with this, but there’s no turning back now, I suppose.”

Xenos followed him and stood by the wall. “Well, we just have to succeed. We’ve got this, it’s our group against the world—literally. And if we fail, we at least gave it our best shot.” He sighed. “That’s more than most people have done.” 

“I guess.” Maxxine looked at Xenos, then he sat down against the wall, crossing his legs. “I’m accompanying you for the remainder of the night. I don’t see myself going back to sleep.”

Xenos chuckled and sat down next to him. “I don’t have much choice, do I?”

“Nope!”

“For a ‘grouchy gay’, as Mari phrased it, you aren’t the worst company.” Xenos smiled.

Maxxine rolled his eyes. “And for some flirting and constantly teasing guardian, you are easier to talk to.

“Flirty you say? I didn’t realize that you took it that way.”

Maxxine instantly turned red. “Did I say flirting? I don’t think I said that!” He looked away with embarrassment.

“I believe I heard that exact word-”

“Could you two have been any louder?” Mari stood just a couple feet away with Vania, already having all the other supplies from the main room packed. Maxxine felt awkward that they must have been awake for a while and he was too distracted to hear them packing up. Those two most likely heard everything that Maxxine and Xenos were saying.

“Well since we are all up!” She inched closer to the portal with excitement. Mari shared the same lack of enthusiasm as Maxxine had.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how loud we were. But we should just go. It’s nearly morning; I checked a bit ago. We’ll just have to be careful to avoid corrupteds and nightmares.” 

“YES! YES YES YES!” Vania quickly ran through the portal. Mari gasped then angrily followed her.

“I suppose we are following right now.” Maxxine sighed.

“I’LL BEAT YOU TO THE OTHER SIDE!” Xenos ran through without warning. Maxxine stood still in the empty room before rushing in afterwards.