Scarlet pushed herself off the wall, swaying, looking like she might collapse.
"It seemed like the only choice, Boss! It was that or let those Unit 7 freaks use her as a damn human shield! I was a little busy, y'know, not dying!"
Her voice was defensive, angry. But underneath it, Fin heard the fear.
She knew. She knew what a terrible gamble she'd made with Mara's life.
He didn't waste time arguing.
He turned back to the sealed door. The one with the dark, unsettling runes.
The door he'd sworn to himself he'd never touch again.
The strain on his domain, from the two previous portal jumps and the forceful repulsion from the Lock, was immense. It screamed in protest.
His head throbbed violently. Black spots danced in his vision.
'I can't. I can't open it again. Not now.'
"Arachne," he said, his voice strained. "Can you open that door from this side without... me?"
He hated asking.
