The Void's Bargain

The silence in the crater was profound, broken only by the ragged breathing of Shift and the slow, almost mournful hum of his armor receding. The air, thick with the acrid scent of ozone and something far older, settled around him like a shroud. Kareem was the first to reach him, his face etched with a relief so potent it was almost tangible.

"You good?" Kareem's voice was a rasp, his hand steadying Malik's shoulder.

Malik managed a weak smile, the ache in his bones a dull throb that felt blessedly familiar. "Never better." The words felt like a lie and the absolute truth all at once. He’d faced the Void, the source of Echo, the entity that had tried to consume him, and he’d destroyed it. Or so he thought. The armor, once a sleek, liquid black, now flaked away like burnt paper, revealing the raw, bruised flesh beneath.