The victory in the forest brought a newfound sense of camaraderie, but it also revealed cracks in their unity.
Back at the station, Orin debriefed them. "You performed well, but your teamwork needs improvement. The enemy will not wait for you to figure things out."
Leo leaned back, arms crossed. "We closed the rift, didn't we? Sounds like a win to me."
"Barely," Bruce said, echoing his earlier words. "If Zane hadn't frozen that thing, we'd be dead."
"And if I hadn't burned it to ash, you'd be the one getting crushed," Leo shot back.
"Enough," Skye said, stepping between them. "We're supposed to be a team, remember?"
Jasmine sighed, her voice tired. "She's right. We're stronger together."
Zane, sitting in the corner with his pocket watch, finally spoke. "Stronger doesn't mean perfect. Mistakes were made."
His words hung in the air, cutting deeper than he likely intended.
Calypso broke the tension. "Instead of pointing fingers, let's figure out what went wrong and fix it."
Orin nodded. "A wise suggestion. Reflect on this mission, but remember—the next challenge will not wait for you to be ready."
That evening, the Guardians found themselves scattered across the station, each lost in their own thoughts.
Leo and Calypso sat by the fire, the silence between them comfortable.
"You were amazing out there," Leo said, his usual bravado replaced with sincerity.
Calypso smiled faintly. "So were you."
Skye found Bruce in the garden, tending to the plants that had started to wilt from the storm.
"You okay?" she asked, her tone unusually soft.
"Yeah," he replied, not looking up. "Just... thinking."
"About what?"
He hesitated. "About whether we're really ready for this."
Skye placed a hand on his shoulder, the wind swirling gently around them. "We'll figure it out. Together."
In the shadows of the station, Zane sat alone, his watch ticking softly. Jasmine approached him, her presence tentative.
"You did great today," she said, sitting beside him.
He didn't respond at first, but after a moment, he said, "It's not enough. It never is."
Jasmine frowned but didn't push. Instead, she stayed by his side, the silence between them filled with unspoken understanding.
As the storm outside began to subside, the Guardians knew their journey was only beginning. The rift was just the first of many battles, and the darkness was far from defeated.
