For a while, no one moved.
The fight was over, but it did not feel like a victory. The ground was broken, the air still carried the smell of smoke, and everything felt too quiet. Jenny slowly stepped forward. She did not even think about it. She just needed to see. Then she saw the ring.
It was lying on the ground, dull and lifeless. No light, no energy. Just metal. Her chest tightened. She bent down and picked it up. It felt cold in her hand. Behind her, Stebin spoke in a low voice. "That's it?" No one answered him. Kevin turned his face away. Zoe stood still, trying to understand what had just happened. Louis looked down at his device, but he was not really reading anything. Jake remained silent.
Jenny looked at the ring. "She's gone," she said quietly. The ride back to the base felt longer than usual. No one talked. Even Stebin stayed quiet. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable. Jenny sat near the window, holding the ring tightly. She did not notice how hard she was holding it until her fingers started to hurt. Zoe sat beside her. She did not speak, but she stayed close.
When they reached the base, Mira walked toward them quickly. "You're back," she said, then stopped when she saw their faces. "Where is Elisa?" Jenny did not trust her voice. She simply held out her hand. The ring. Mira looked at it for a moment, then looked at all of them. "I understand," she said softly. She took the ring carefully. Her hands were slightly shaking.
No one explained anything. They did not need to. That night felt strange. The base was quiet in a way it had never been before. Jenny stood outside Elisa's room for a moment before pushing the door open and walking in. Everything was the same. Her jacket was still there. Her books were still on the table. It looked like she had just stepped out for a moment.
Jenny sat on the edge of the bed. For a second, she almost expected Elisa to walk in and say something normal. But nothing happened. Jenny looked down at the ring in her hand. "You should have told me," she said softly. She let out a slow breath. "No. You would not have." A small, tired smile appeared on her face. "You knew I would try to stop you." In the training room, Stebin kept hitting the wall. Not hard enough to damage it. Just enough to feel something.
Kevin stood at the doorway. "This is not helping," Kevin said. Stebin did not stop. "Then what will?" Kevin had no answer. After a few seconds, Stebin stopped on his own. He leaned forward, resting his head against the wall. "We were supposed to fight together," he said quietly. Kevin looked down. "Yes." Zoe was in the lab with Louis. She kept replaying the battle data. "There is something strange," she said. Louis looked at the screen. "What do you see?" "The energy did not disappear," Zoe replied. "It spread out." Louis hesitated. "Do you think she is still alive?" Zoe stayed silent for a moment.
"I think we do not fully understand what happened," she said. Outside, Jake stood looking at the sky. Mira joined him. "She carried too much," Mira said. Jake nodded. "Now we carry it." The next morning, they all gathered without being called. Jenny stood in front of them, holding the ring. "We cannot stop," she said. Her voice was calm, but steady. Stebin looked at her. "And we just continue?"
Jenny shook her head. "We move forward." Kevin sighed quietly. "We are not ready." Neither was she," Zoe said. That made everyone pause. Jake gave a small nod. "She still did it." Louis looked at the ring. "Then we should not waste it." Jenny closed her hand around it. "We continue," she said.
This time, no one argued. Somewhere far away, a faint light flickered. Weak, but still there.