The teens stood in a circle. At the center was a pumpkin, positioned in the middle of an intricate symbol, painted with unsure brushstrokes, smudged to fix mistakes.

"Stop fidgeting, Nirysk," the young Eliksni girl muttered, tightening her grip on the other Eliksni's hands. "You don't see Cash or Rhea fidgeting."

"I'm not fidgeting," said Nirysk as he grabbed Cash's hand.

"If you're scared, I'm sure we can do this alone—"

"Melii, I'm fine," Nirysk retorted, his tone short.

"Everyone ready?" Rhea asked. The teens nodded. In one hand, she held up the book she'd been leafing through when Glint initially arrived. The words they strung together seemed a bit nonsensical, despite recognizing a few. Glint approached the altar with the intention of scanning the reliquary… but he couldn't.

Confused, Glint tried again. Nothing happened. His sensors were jammed. He couldn't even send an SOS to the Vanguard.

A violet glow danced in his peripherals, demanding his attention. He spun around and, to his surprise, saw it was from the pumpkin head—eyes and mouth alight.