The craft rose hard enough that Elias felt the harness catch his shoulders.
The desert flattened beneath them. Dunes became curves, roads became thin marks, and Cube X shrank into a shape that looked too small to contain everything he had learned to fear.
"A few weeks ago, my biggest problem was whether dinner service would survive a bad delivery," Elias said. "Now I am strapped into a military aircraft with a shard under my ribs and a fairy who judges my posture."
Dot's hovered near the canopy glass. "Your posture earned the judgment without outside influence."
Elara banked east, and greenery began to replace the sand below. "You are taking this better than most people would."
"I am delaying panic until I understand the menu."
That pulled a quiet laugh from her.
Elias looked at her profile while she checked the flight path. "You said you completed quests already. How many are we talking about?"
