The cold didn't just linger. It spread.
It crept along the cave walls, slipping through the glowing crystals, dulling their light. The warmth from the pool began to fade, the green glow flickering as if something unseen was pressing against it.
Three felt it immediately.
The soothing heat that had wrapped around his body moments ago began to twist into something unstable. One second it was warm, the next it turned biting cold, then burning again. His body tensed inside the cocoon.
"Grandpa…?"
His voice came out weak.
Vexer's expression changed. The relaxed confidence from before vanished, replaced by something sharper. His eyes narrowed slightly as his senses expanded further into the cave.
"Something's wrong."
Sigil stepped forward instinctively, his gaze fixed on the cocoon. "The flow is unstable."
Inside the pool, the green liquid churned. The cocoon pulsed, then tightened, compressing around Three's body.
Three sucked in a breath. Pain followed.
It started in his chest, a pressure, like something was forcing its way outward. Then it spread through his limbs, into his bones, into places he didn't even know could hurt.
"Ah…!"
The sound barely escaped before it was swallowed by the cocoon.
The energy inside him wasn't aligning. It clashed. Twisted. Collided.
Instead of awakening, it was fighting itself.
"His cells aren't stabilizing," Sigil said, his voice tightening. "They're rejecting the process."
Vexer didn't respond immediately. His focus was locked entirely on Three.
That wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this.
The Starborn awakening was unpredictable, yes, but this… this was closer to collapse than failure.
Inside the cocoon, Three's vision blurred.
His thoughts scattered as waves of pain crashed through him. His body felt too small, like something inside was trying to break out, tearing through him from the inside.
What… is happening…?
He tried to move, but his limbs refused to respond. The water around him felt heavier, thicker, as if it was dragging him down.
Another surge hit.
This time, it burned.
"Make it stop…"
The words didn't fully form. His mouth opened, but only a strained breath escaped.
Sigil clenched his fists. Every instinct in him screamed to step in, to pull his son out, but he didn't move. Not yet.
Interfering too early could make it worse.
Interfering too late…
His jaw tightened.
The cocoon pulsed violently. Cracks of light began to appear across its surface, spreading like fractures in glass.
"Father," Sigil called, his voice low but urgent.
Vexer raised a hand, stopping him.
"Wait."
But even he could see it now.
The energy had gone out of control.
Inside, Three's body trembled uncontrollably. The pain had reached a point where it no longer felt sharp. It became overwhelming, drowning everything else.
His thoughts slowed.
His vision dimmed.
For a brief moment, everything went quiet.
Then…
The cocoon collapsed inward.
The green light flickered wildly before dimming almost completely.
Three's body sank deeper into the water, unmoving.
"Now."
Sigil didn't hesitate. He moved instantly, stepping into the pool and breaking through what remained of the cocoon. The water rippled violently as he reached his son and pulled him up.
Three's body was limp.
Too still.
"Three!"
No response.
Sigil's heart pounded as he held him, searching for any sign, breath, movement, anything.
A faint one came.
Weak. Fragile. But there.
Vexer stepped forward, his expression no longer calm. His gaze swept over Three, assessing, calculating.
"He failed to awaken," he said quietly.
But even as the words left his mouth, something about it didn't sit right.
The pool… had reacted.
The energy… had surged.
And the cave itself had answered in kind.
That wasn't a normal failure.
Vexer's gaze hardened as it settled on Three's unmoving body. For the first time since they entered the cave, there was no trace of pride or amusement left, only focus.
Sigil didn't wait. He stepped into the pool fully, water splashing as he pulled Three into his arms. The boy's body felt far too light, far too still.
"Three!"
No response.
A faint breath brushed against Sigil's wrist. Weak… but there.
Relief hit him, sharp and immediate, but it didn't last. His grip tightened instinctively as he looked down at his son, his voice dropping. "Father…"
Vexer was already moving.
He stepped forward and placed a hand over Three's chest. A soft green light spread from his palm, steady and controlled, nothing like the chaotic energy from before.
"His body's been strained beyond its limit," Vexer said quietly, his tone no longer carrying authority, but precision. "The awakening backlash is still running through him."
The light deepened. It didn't flare or surge. It settled, flowing into Three like a calm current correcting a raging storm.
Sigil held still, not daring to interrupt. For all his strength, this wasn't something he could handle. Not like this.
The trembling in Three's body began to slow.
His breathing, uneven and shallow before, gradually steadied. The tightness in his chest eased under Vexer's hand as the lingering energy was suppressed, then smoothed out completely.
Seconds stretched.
Then…
Three's body finally went slack, not from collapse, but from exhaustion.
Vexer exhaled softly, withdrawing his hand. The glow faded with it.
"He'll live."
Simple words, but they carried weight.
Sigil didn't speak immediately. He just looked at his son, water dripping from his hair, his small body limp in his arms. The tension in his shoulders slowly loosened, though his grip didn't.
"What happened?" he asked at last, his voice quieter than before.
"A failed awakening," Vexer replied, calm once more, but this time, there was something heavier beneath it. "His body couldn't handle the process."
Sigil's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't argue.
Three shifted faintly in his arms, a small, unconscious movement.
He was out cold. Completely drained.
Vexer glanced at him one last time before turning away. "Take him back. He'll need rest. His body will recover… but the awakening is over."
Sigil nodded.
Without another word, he carried Three out of the pool, holding him a little closer than before.
The cave, once filled with light and energy, fell silent again.