It lasts for minutes on end. The light inside her flickers one more time before it dies out.
“Moe,” I say in a low voice. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she manages, though it sounds strained.
I pull her closer in my arms, holding her tight.
She doesn’t refuse my touch. She leans into me, placing her head on my shoulder and hugging me in return.
That’s when I notice—her strength. It’s increased so much, I almost yelp in pain from her tight embrace.
“I… feel different,” she whispers in my ear. “Better. Healthier? I’m not sure if that’s the correct term, but it’s like my entire being changed. I don’t feel as fragile as before…”
Right, I might be the fragile one now if she keeps going like this.
“Do you think we’re good to continue or do you need a moment?”
“What do you mean?” She pulls back, her expression confused.
“There’s one more thing,” I say and bring out the Raffia eggshell from the proto-realm. It’s heavy and thick, and though it’s been half-destroyed, a hum of energy still lingers within.
“Come here,” I say.
She tilts her head to the side, not understanding what I want to do.
I let out a chuckle. Taking out a blanket and placing it on the cold floor, I motion her to sit. “On your back.”
“Nyk, the heart was enough. What are you?—”
“The heart might have augmented your condition, but you’re still vulnerable. I don’t want to take any chances.”
She rolls her eyes at me, but a small smile pulls at her lips. She lays on the blanket on her back and waits.
“Uhm… Can you pull your shirt up?”
She raises a brow at me.
“I need to apply this directly to the skin.”
She makes a tsk sound—oddly familiar, again. She takes her shirt off and places it to the side, remaining only in a scrap of material that covers her breasts.
I break off the eggshell grind it down just enough to make a spreadable paste, using the liquid we collected from the Wilka too.
Carefully, I apply it over her chest, right where her heart sits beneath her ribs.
Moe watches me curiously, a lopsided smile on her face.
For a moment, nothing happens.
Then the material reacts.
It doesn’t spread outward like I expected—like an actual armor. Instead, it sinks. It burrows underneath her skin.
I can feel the shift even without touching it directly, like a barrier forming exactly where it needs to.
Over her heart.
Good.
