His words came out steady. His eyes didn't.
There wasn't much point pretending — Jasmine, Culdrin... all of it had started with him. The plan had been simple. Just a push. Just enough to give them a reason to move.
He shifted his weight, the corner of his jaw tightening. That truth sat heavy behind his face, out of reach.
Junjio's hands wouldn't stop shaking. The portal Ikona at his fingertips flickered again, a faint ring of light guttering like a flame caught in the wind.
A sharp breath rattled out of him. Dirt clung to the wet tracks cutting down his face, the raw red of his eyes standing out in the glow. His fingers clawed at nothing, too slow to catch what was slipping away.
"I'm trying, Elias. I swear," he rasped. His voice cracked on the last word.
The portal flared, then stuttered again, the corridor on the other side warping out of shape like heat off asphalt.
Elias stepped in, setting a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.
