For a fraction of a second that felt like an eternity, I froze.

  One moment, Mio's hand was almost touching mine, her red eyes shining with the discovery she wanted to share. In the next, a blade appeared in her grip. Without any warning, she just lunged, crossing the square toward Lira.

  What is she doing?!

  The panicked thought was interrupted by a thunderous crash—followed by a rain of small debris that exploded from the center of the square.

  "Hadrian, cover me!" Elian's voice, laden with urgency, came from my side.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his sword driving into the ribs of a dark, angular shape—something that mimicked the form of a dog but was too lanky and misshapen for the likeness.

  My feet adjusted on their own—a wider stance, a subtle shift of the hips that anchored my weight. My arms and fingers rose in a fluid, memorized motion. A bow appeared, and as my fingers opened, the creature stopped and collapsed into an inert pile of rock and loose earth.

  From the center of the dust, a silhouette flew toward us—Lira, tossed like a ragdoll. Elian was already moving. He stepped forward with a long stride, his arms extending to catch the girl mid-air.

  There were no questions. Elian merely stared at the girl, his expression as complex as my own.

  A new sound propagated through the air—a luminous shattering.

  I turned instinctively. A few steps from our group, one of the lanky, dark shapes now emerging from the shadows—with faces of burnt flesh and holes for eyes—was staggering. Its head had practically disappeared, transformed into a cloud of dark fragments and a fine black dust.

  From behind the rubble, with fingers still shimmering with bluish energy, Hadrian appeared like a ghost.

  "Elian!" he exclaimed. "What was that noise?"

  Elian had no time to answer.

  "Please..." Lira's voice came out as a hoarse thread, laden with a panic sharper than a scream. "Help her."

  That's when a new sound began to fill the chamber, coming from the epicenter of the dust. A fast, metallic, insistent rhythm, like iron structures being struck repeatedly in a disordered sequence.

  The creature, tall and misshapen, dominated the center of the square. Its limbs were too short, its joints misaligned, as if assembled without respect for anatomy. It had dozens of arms—some thin as branches, others thick and inert—sprouting chaotically from its torso. The trunk was covered in a grayish skin, marked by twisted spirals resembling burns.

  And dancing around it, a white blur.

  Elian and Hadrian exchanged a glance. There was no word, no signal. Just the instant understanding of those who train for the worst. Hadrian opened his hand, and a sphere of bluish energy began to pulse in his palm, growing, fueled by urgency. Elian gripped his longsword, the blade reflecting the dull light of the fungi in a deadly gleam.

  They launched themselves toward the monster, two points of determination against that misshapen heap of flesh and movement.

  My entire body tensed with the impulse to follow them. My fingers almost released the bowstring. My feet itched to run. But I didn't.

  The years of training under Aunt Bela's critical eye spoke louder. My eyes, trained to spot moving targets, traced invisible lines in the air.

  What is that thing? It's too fast for its size. If Hadrian and Elian enter that field, they'll be crushed... More importantly, more smaller creatures are converging where we are. If the perimeter is abandoned, we'll be surrounded on all sides.

  An arrow shot forth in silence, a turquoise-blue bolt embedding itself in the ground on the path Hadrian and Elian were taking toward the creature and Mio.

  "Fall back!" Both turned immediately at the sudden warning in my voice.

  I ran to them, my attention divided between the central monster and the edges of the chamber.

  "Don't go in there. Smaller creatures, they're coming!" I explained, panting, nodding toward the shadows where the lean, burnt forms were gathering at the entrances. "If we all go to the center, we'll be surrounded."

  Elian looked at Mio, then at the approaching creatures. His face was a mask of conflict.

  "And your friend? Are we leaving her alone with that thing?"

  "I'll provide support for her," I responded, my voice firmer than I felt. "You two hold the flanks with the other students. We can't let them box us in."

  Hadrian nodded, knowing there was no time to lose. "It's the best action plan we have. If we're surrounded, no one survives. Icehart, are you sure you can help her?"

  That's when the creature roared, a dry, wet thud accompanying the cry. From the limbs writhing like a tangle of snakes, one of the thinner arms flew through the air, torn from the creature. From the wound, something dark and viscous gushed, dripping onto the stone with a slight hiss.

  Elian was stunned, his wide eyes fixed on the severed arm that tumbled to the ground, still twitching. Hadrian's expression became immensely more serious.

  Our eyes met, along with an almost imperceptible nod from Elian. They turned as one, heading toward the group.

  I set off toward Mio, toward the continuous roar of the wounded creature, toward the moving battlefield. The ice bow in my hands felt lighter now, or perhaps it was the weight of the decision pushing me forward.

  As I ran, the distance only seemed to grow. They were no longer in the center of the square. Mio and the monster had moved to the darker edges of the chamber, near one of the larger structures. The roar and the sound of impacts now echoed from a completely different place.

  I slowed down, panting. I raised my bow, my fingers finding the cord of frigid energy. An ice arrow crystallized, ready. I looked for an opening, a moment of pause in the whirlwind of limbs.

  That's when my eyes met Mio's. It was a look of absolute clarity, a movement that somehow seemed calculated... And then, with a quick gesture, she pointed with her dagger to the side of the creature where the arm had been severed moments before.

  There was no blood, or an open wound. It was a clump of grayish flesh; the arm had completely regenerated.

  All the pieces clicked together with a silent, terrible certainty:

  The calculated distance. The instant regeneration. Its speed and strength are keeping Mio on the absolute defensive. If that thing turns toward the main group, none of us will get out alive.

  A tremor under the grayish skin of the torso, a protuberance that swelled grotesquely and then ruptured. Something resembling a scorpion's tail in the form of an arm sprouted from the creature's back and descended with crushing force on the exact spot where Mio had been.

  This time, the only sound I could hear was the arrow resting in my hand breaking in two. There was no time to stare at the ground, after all, Mio's gesture still held another meaning.

  Please, hold on until I get there.

  The creature's roar and the crash of the impact echoed behind me, a constant reminder of what was being left behind. Every step that took me farther away felt wrong, against all instinct, but at the same time, it was the only path that made sense.

  When I reached the group, the scene was one of desperate containment. Elian, Dennar, and Hadrian formed an irregular front line, keeping the lean, burnt creatures at a distance.

  Only three people in the rear, Hadrian is holding the front alone at two o'clock. Dennar is holding the opposite side while Elian alternates between them. Fifteen, Thirty... Elian will tire before this ends.

  Controlled, fluid, and decisive, more about control than brute force.

  Feet firm on the ground, weight distributed. The string must be pulled continuously; arm, shoulder, and back align. A brief moment of pause, and then:

  The ice arrow flew, passing inches from Elian's shoulder and finding the exact spot on the forehead of the creature he was facing, giving him enough time to turn and drive his sword through that clump of flesh.

  "Why are you here? And where is she?" Elian questioned.

  "She asked us to finish here first," my voice cut through the noise as another arrow was already forming on my bow. "I need you to make a platform, at least three meters high. You three stay around the base, I'll provide cover."

  Elian understood instantly. Without further questions, he knelt, his hands pressing the stone floor. A tremor ran through the ground.

  Alright, from up here I can see everything... The only clear path is the one we came from, the monsters are slow, we could escape, but it's not a viable option right now.

  The other students—those who had stayed behind—began converging on the platform like a safe harbor. Some approached cautiously, leaning against the platform while observing the situation. Others, with more determined expressions, positioned themselves beside Dennar, Hadrian, and Elian, providing magical support.

  The other students are starting to reorganize, but it still won't be enough.

  A methodical rhythm was established: Observe, aim, and shoot. Shots of incapacitation—knees, shoulders, heads. Each arrow created an opening, and Elian, Hadrian, or even one of the braver students would take the opportunity for the final blow.

  Hadrian is dealing with two; his combat style is mostly ranged. Casting spells simultaneously reduces efficiency. There are four more behind the ones he's facing. — The sound of the bowstring complemented my thought. — Two down, he should be able to hold a bit longer.

  "Katia..." A voice, just one of many...

  Elian pushed too deep into the monster line... He's drawing their attention, but if he goes any deeper, it'll be hard to get back. — Three more shots. — Return path secured.

  "Pedro... Please stay still," another voice, desperate, coming from the base of the platform.

  Dennar isn't handling the horde well. Without a weapon, he relies solely on his electrical affinity for immobilization. It's effective against a single enemy, but this situation puts him at a disadvantage. — Two more shots were fired.

  "El..." Words were cut off before they could begin, a sound from the depths of the chamber, different from the others.

  My next shot hesitated. My eyes instantly jumped from the immediate battlefield to the dark depths of the chamber, where the dust haze still hung.

  That sound, something hit the wall hard... More enemies are coming from the chamber's cavities. How long until this ends?

  The hesitation lasted less than two seconds. It was enough for one of the creatures—a shorter, faster one, with deformed hind limbs that gave it an ungainly hopping motion—to slip through the gap my last shot should have created.

  It was coming straight for the base of the platform, where two students crouched, trying to conjure a barrier.

  The arrow flew. But my timing was off, my attention still divided. The ice arrow passed inches from the creature, shattering against the floor beneath it.

  The thing leaped, its bony forelimbs extending like spears toward the paralyzed students.

  Poorly formulated barriers won't work against physical attacks; it'll go right through. — A small ice dagger formed in my hand. If I go down, the formation will break...

  The barrier was overcome, and then it happened.

  The creature simply wasn't there anymore. As if it had hit an invisible glass wall. Its body contorted at an impossible angle, and it was thrown backward like a doll, flying several meters before landing heavily on the ground, where it lay motionless.

  What happened? A barrier? But I didn't see any spell? — My gaze swept over the group. Everyone looked as confused as I was. Everyone except... Lira.

  Lira had her eyes closed, both hands pointed in the direction where the creature had flown. Her fingers trembled slightly, and she breathed deeply, as if trying to catch her breath after a sudden effort.

  My brain connected the dots: the movement of the air, the repulsive force without visible impact, the rare affinity she had shown during the exam.

  Wind magic. But she couldn't control it during the exam... Doesn't matter.

  My next arrow was already flying before I finished the thought, relieving the pressure on Hadrian, who was facing three creatures at once.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Lira!" I called, keeping my voice as controlled as possible. My eyes didn't leave the battlefield, but my words were directed at her. "Can you do that on a larger scale? A pulse, a wide blast?"

  Silence for two heartbeats. Two seconds during which I took down another creature trying to reach Dennar.

  "I..." Lira's voice came out weak, uncertain. "I don't know. I've never tried something so..."

  "Alright," I cut her off, more for practicality than comfort. There was no time for hesitation. "We work with what we're sure of. Keep doing what you're doing. Protect the base."

  But then, her voice came again, a bit firmer:

  "I can do it." She paused, and I heard her take a deep breath. "I just need more time. To concentrate. And... and I can't be interrupted."

  No time to lose...

  My next arrow went into the ground, half a meter from Elian's right foot, embedding itself in the stone with a crystalline sound that made him instinctively look down and then at me.

  Arm extended, hand open, pulling decisively toward my chest.

  Elian didn't question it. He took a step back, then another, his sword maintaining a defensive arc in front of him as he withdrew from the front line.

  "Hadrian, Dennar! Rally point at the platform!" Elian ordered, clear and impersonal.

  As the boys executed the retreat, my attention turned completely to Lira.

  "Lira," I said, my voice quick but calm, the tone my father used to adjust strategies mid-chaos. "Don't wait. Cast now. The biggest wind blast you can manage, toward the center of the square."

  Lira's greenish eyes widened for an instant, but she didn't argue. She nodded once, closed her eyes again, and brought both hands forward, her fingers interlacing in a gesture that seemed both a prayer and an incantation.

  I didn't wait to see the result. My gaze rose, scanning the vaulted ceiling of the chamber—not the blue fungi, but the bare stone above them. Specifically, above the point from where the large creature had detached and fallen in the first place.

  I raised the bow, aiming at a fixed point, at a crack my eyes had caught the moment the creature fell on Mio.

  "Katia, what are you doing?" Elian's voice reached me, panting, at my feet. He was now at the foot of the platform.

  "Make a wall in a circle shape," I responded, two shots already having been fired. "There, at the edge of the square. Only one entrance, in the direction Lira is pointing."

  Elian followed my gaze. If Lira's wind blast was going to push the creatures, they needed to be funneled somewhere.

  "Hadrian!" Elian shouted, already kneeling and pressing his hands to the ground again.

  "Got it!" Hadrian's voice came before the order was given. "I'll make the barrier at the entrance, but it won't last more than five seconds."

  The earth shook right beneath me. The wall rose in a protective arc, curving to form an irregular but solid circle, with a single opening about four meters wide facing exactly where Lira was pointing her trembling hands.

  All the other students, following survival instincts or shouted orders I didn't even hear, ran inside the stone circle. Hadrian positioned himself at the entrance, his hands already glowing with the bluish mana he was compressing into a barrier of pure force.

  I remained atop the platform, at the center of our improvised fortress. It's starting to crumble, just a few more arrows.

  Hadrian raised his hands, and a translucent curtain of blue energy materialized at the entrance to our stone circle, sealing it. For a few seconds, a cacophony of screeches and scratches could be heard against the barrier.

  How much longer? Is Lira ready? — The bowstring was fully drawn as creatures were climbing the platform.

  A murmur began to form in the circle—muffled, panting voices. Someone sobbed. Another muttered a prayer. And at the center of this growing chaos, I heard Elian's voice, firm but laden with an urgency I hadn't heard before:

  "Katia, get down! Now!"

  Elian was moving, his body already turned toward the base of the platform, his sword low but ready, about to leave the relative protection of the circle to try to reach me.

  It broke before expected, dissolving not with a gentle dissipation but with an abrupt rupture, like a mirror being struck. The fragments of bluish energy flickered and died in the air. Hadrian recoiled a step, a grunt of pain or surprise escaping him, his hand going instinctively to his chest as if the impact had been physical.

  And the entrance was open.

  The silence that followed was brief and icy.

  Leap to the left: Shoulder and collarbone shattered, fall, incapacitation in 2 seconds. Retreat directly back: Hit by debris. Insufficient strength to counter-attack.

  The futures unfolded like a fan of horrors, each more brief and terminal than the last. The air smelled of dust and metal. It was already hard to distinguish what was a phantom and what was real.

  My body was already moving before the conscious analysis finished. The enormous arm that had grown from its back—that disproportionate limb, larger than the rest of its body—descended with crushing force on the spot where I had been an instant before.

  The stone floor cracked like thin ice, sending a wave of debris and shrapnel in all directions. Stones the size of fists flew like shrapnel, smaller fragments like a rain of blades.

  But I was already there, pressed against the misshapen base of the creature's legs. The monster's own body became my shield against the debris.

  In the same motion, I moved out of its shadow, leaping backward in a fluid movement that placed me about five meters away, outside the cloud of dust its own strike had raised.

  Attacking to kill is useless... Maybe immobilizing it before regeneration takes effect? — I stood up, the dagger firmly in hand, my eyes fixed on the disproportionate silhouette writhing in the brown haze.

  The monster emerged from the dust area without respite, advancing in a jet of limbs. Bone blades sprouted from five different hands.

  A tip came toward my head; a minimal step back and it passed a finger's breadth from my nose. In the same movement, a crushing blow descended from above; I twisted my torso and the blade embedded itself in the ground where my chest had been, shattering stone. The third came horizontally at neck height; I bent my knees and the white bone cut the air above my lowered head.

  My right foot was already moving—striking the base of the second blade still stuck in the ground. A sharp, precise kick, and the bone snapped.

  The lower half of the bone flew. My left hand caught it mid-air, feeling its rough surface still warm from its recent formation, and hurled it straight into its "face."

  The fragment hit the creature's forehead. The sharp tip embedded itself in the gray flesh, sticking there, impaled like a grotesque dart.

  It doesn't care about superficial damage like that. There's no future where I can attack directly without putting myself in a dangerous position.

  All I can do is wait for a counter-attack.

  The creature didn't advance. It didn't roar. It didn't raise any of its many arms for another attack. It simply stopped.

  And then, slowly, the thing tilted its torso in my direction. The multiple holes in its face—those eyes of total darkness—aligned. Fixed on me.

  The wound isn't regenerating over the bone; maybe Katia's arrows can do something... Hm, it stopped?

  The monster began to make a series of purposeless movements. Moving its arms in an uncoordinated manner, slow and imprecise motions. One of its more functional arms stretched toward the ground. Its fingers closed around a loose stone from its own previous impact and prepared to throw.

  I remained planted in place. I already saw where it would land: Five meters from my position. The stone, insignificant in size, seemed to represent something greater given the sequence of events that had just happened.

  My feet instantly positioned themselves for a lunge.

  It's coming. Leap forward, abdominal perforation if not redirected.

  The empty smile was imprinted on its face when the creature exploded into motion. Its disproportionate body launched forward with a speed that contradicted its mass.

  The dagger's blade met the emerging bone, sliding along the surface of the bony structure and redirecting it.

  More attacks, this time from the arms on the right side. Opening if I parry, neck too solid, impossible to pierce. Aiming for one of the legs is the best option.

  I parried with the strong part of the blade, feeling the impact tremble up to my shoulder. I used that force, twisting my body on its axis to let the second low thrust pass close by. In the same flow of movement, my spin continued.

  The world reduced itself to two lines: the arm still recovering from the blow and the exposed supporting leg.

  First cut: horizontal, severing a secondary arm at the joint. Second cut: descending, severing the tendon of the nearest leg. Two dry sounds, almost simultaneous. One limb fell; the leg gave way. The creature toppled to the side from which the leg had been disconnected.

  My feet were already hitting the ground, propelling me backward.

  If I continue like this, it's possible to completely immobilize it. — When I thought about advancing to attack, my body stopped instinctively, or for a more specific reason: A sound, something smashed into the ground with crushing force.

  My gaze flew backward for a fraction of a second.

  From the ground a few meters behind me. Shards of white bone scattered in all directions. A bony projectile had smashed against the stone, leaving a shallow crater and a rain of sharp fragments.

  The palm of the larger arm sprouting from its back had a circular fissure at its center. Pointed at the part of the ground that had just disintegrated.

  There was no time to think. The creature leaped in my direction. And the larger arm pointed, not directly at me, but focusing on my next movements.

  Retreat in any direction results in a point-blank shot. Post-leap attack: parrying the right arms results in a shoulder perforation. Full dodge to the left: exposes the flank to the larger limb. Partial deflection while maintaining position: medium risk, but preserves options of—

  My arms moved before I could analyze more options. Defensive circles drawn with the dagger, batting, deflecting, redirecting. One strike grazed my arm, opening a superficial wound. Another tore through the uniform on my shoulder.

  That's when the larger arm stretched in a fluid, fast movement that positioned it directly above me. The circular fissure in the center of the palm already pulsed with a dull amber light.

  It has me cornered, point-blank shot. Reaction time: 0.5 seconds.

  I threw my right shoulder back, twisting my body's angle. The shot passed close to my chest, slamming into the ground. One of the creature's smaller arms took advantage of the opening, striking me in the ribs. The impact threw me away, colliding against a side wall of one of the structures.

  Are they broken...? No. — I touched my fingers to my ribs, searching for injuries. Through the blurred vision, I could see the creature approaching slowly.

  The pain in my ribs throbbed in sync with my heartbeat. But more than the physical pain, it was the pattern that now crystallized in my mind, clear and undeniable.

  The bone thrown at its face, and the stone thrown at nothing. Adaptation for ranged attacks. The first shot was a test; that explains the error. The sudden approach was to cover that flaw.

  The final movement wasn't like the other charges; it purposely attacked me with the arm. If I had defended, I would have been perforated by the next attack.

  Katia... Sorry, I can't wait for help. — I murmured, the words coming out as a breath only I could hear. It's most likely that even with the group, it won't change the situation.

  When my vision returned, the pain in my ribs was still there. But the hesitation had evaporated. The creature stopped about three meters away, the larger arm rising for what should have been the final blow.

  The shot was fired, but I was no longer there. Positioned behind the nearest wall, all I could hear was the sound of the wall being destroyed.

  The attacks. Most came from above downward, thrusts, crushing blows. Never a wide lateral hook or a rotation movement using its full body weight. Given its movement speed and the last attack I suffered, it's likely much lighter than it appears.

  The creature rounded the wall, its eyes finding me immediately. One of its arms shot forward, attempting to grab me. An impulse positioned me two meters above the ground, leaping over the wall, out of the creature's line of sight for an instant.

  The larger arm reacted first, smashing the base of the wall with crushing force.

  The distraction helped me gain a few seconds of distance. But the creature was already moving, closing the gap with that sudden straight-line speed. One of its right arms rose abruptly—I recognized the movement: an attack from above downward, an attempt at impalement.

  A change of direction, launching myself through a half-open door into one of the house-shaped structures to my left.

  The creature threw its entire disproportionate body, projecting itself toward the house, hovering for an instant before descending with full force onto the structure's roof. The sound was of rotten wood giving way and stones collapsing. The roof caved inward in a cloud of dust and debris.

  This should be good.

  As the dust was still settling from the rubble, my eyes looked up. The cavern's ceiling was lower in this area—perhaps five meters above the ground, dotted with the same bioluminescent fungi that tinted everything pale blue.

  The creature emerged from the rubble with a roar—a guttural, rough sound that echoed off the nearby walls. Its multiple arms began to pound the ground, the fallen walls, churning through debris in a blind, furious search.

  As soon as it found me atop a nearby pillar, the uncoordinated pounding stopped. The larger arm rose in my direction, the flesh in the center of its palm trembling.

  The threat lasted less than three seconds. Enough to confirm the lack of precision established previously.

  It won't shoot. — My hand raised the dagger, complementing the established challenge.

  The creature roared again and exploded into motion with all the speed its misshapen body allowed, straight for the base of the pillar, which gave way under the impact. The creature churned through the rubble, arms searching—only to lift its eyes and find me with both feet firmly planted on the chamber's ceiling.

  The larger arm rose instantly and fired.

  I was already letting go of the ceiling in a controlled dive. The projectile passed inches by, shattering against the stone behind.

  I used the momentum. The blade descended in a clean arc, severing the arm that had fired from the root. I used its body as a pivot, spinning—two more arms severed.

  Unable to defend from that side, as soon as my feet touched the ground, three spins were enough for three more legs to detach from the body.

  The creature collapsed like a felled tree, its massive body hitting the ground with an impact that sent dust flying. The remaining limbs writhed, trying to push it up, but its weight and lack of support kept it pinned.

  Now's the chance to escape. — The thought was complemented by the dry sound of boots hitting the ground, announcing the retreat.

  The creature began to scream again, a sound muffled by my head as I ran.

  Katia and the rest of the group still haven't come, are they okay? If they are, what do we do? It's only a matter of time until the creature regenerates; even fighting as a group, it's more likely we'll all end up dead. Maybe escape through the fissure we came from? It won't be able to enter there; we could form smaller groups and look for an exit in the worst-case scenar...

  The thought—and the world—disintegrated.

  A vacuum of perception. Sounds, smells, sight, touch—none existed. A black hole in the flow of the future where there should have been possibilities, paths, choices. My feet kept running, but my mind stumbled into the void.

  I knew what it was. Exceedingly rare. A cold, absolute reminder that my gift had a final limit: I could not see the future beyond my own death.

  Where? And why?

  I turned, instinct pulling me to scan routes, angles, cover. But the usual flow of possibilities—that fan of futures that always unfolded before me—was cut off.

  And then I saw why.

  The creature was in the air. Its massive body, still mutilated, hovered two meters off the ground, sustained by a jet of force coming from the arm on its back. All its flesh trembled, pulsed, like a heart about to explode.

  The world seemed to slow down as I processed the situation.

  It... prioritized regenerating the larger arm and used it to leap. — Scanning for possible safe areas began instinctively, stripping away any unnecessary thoughts.

  Five meters to the left: Alive, but unable to move due to multiple fractures. Three meters to the right: Alive, but with a lung puncture. Seven meters ahead: Loss of right arm. Leap to adjacent ceiling: Hit mid-air.

  Every future was a variation of pain, incapacitation, or imminent death. None with a clean escape. None with victory.

  The flow accelerated, overloading with raw sensations. The taste of blood in the mouth. The crack of breaking ribs. The inability to move.

  Among them, a single future differed. Tiny, translucent blue crystals, shining in the suspended dust.

  The stone floor pulverized, transforming into a cloud of fine dust that rose like a curtain. The side walls of the nearby structures simply disappeared, evaporated from base to top, leaving only ghostly outlines in the penumbra.

  Silence. A heavy, absolute silence, as if the air itself had been sucked from the world. And from this void, a seed was born. First an echo, then a form, then words:

  "Mio!"

  My feet moved before I decided. I crossed the curtain of dust with bated breath.

  A lavender silhouette standing amid the devastation, ice bow in hand, tense but firm. Hair billowing in the dust-laden air, eyes glowing like two gems under the blue light of the vegetation.