Aspen dropped from the fallen column, sliding down the bed of stones to the chasm floor. Little had changed in the time since her last descent, though the air had grown colder with the changing of the seasons. Her breath hung in the air. Rhys came up beside her, blowing into his hands while marveling at their surroundings. She tapped him on the shoulder. |Why are you doing that?|

Rhys looked back and forth between her and his hands, then his eyes shot open. |Oh! They're just a little cold.| He cocked his head. |Are you not cold?|

Indicating the exposed skin on her face and neck, Aspen signed, |I feel the cold, but…| Oliver had once asked her if she got hot wearing her armor, back before he knew what she was. Humans and faunus, it seemed, did not tolerate thermal extremes as well as rephaim. |… it does not bother me.|

Neither did it seem to bother Doctor Oobleck. "I must say," he exclaimed, jumping down to join them on solid ground, "I can understand why no one ever found this place. I imagine anyone who found themselves down here would be more concerned about finding a way back up than going even deeper." He looked at Aspen. "Speaking of…"

Aspen nodded. The path they had taken did not end far from the tunnel entrance, so guiding Rhys and Doctor Oobleck there was a simple matter of walking a few dozen yards. The boulder was as she had left it, a narrow gap between itself and the cliff face to allow passage. She placed a hand upon its surface. When she'd first moved it, she hadn't had any idea what lay behind it—not just the havashah, but knowledge. Deirean had filled some of the gaps in her mind, but others still existed. Perhaps this time she might fill more.

Monster.

"Is something the matter, Aspen?" Doctor Oobleck asked.

"No." Placing her other hand against the boulder, Aspen braced her feet against the cliff face. "You and Rhys will not fit through this gap as it is." Filling her lungs, she gradually pressed her strength into the boulder and, when she felt it give way, she redoubled her efforts. She felt, more than saw or heard, the massive stone creep across the chasm floor. The stone around her feet cracked and forced her to adjust her positioning. Smaller rocks and dirt shifted loose and bounced off her head.

Finally, sensing the gap was wide enough, Aspen let her muscles relax and leaned against the boulder. This had been the most she'd exerted herself since the last time she'd moved it. She remembered it being easier. Difficult, yes, but not so much that she felt this… loss of energy. She frowned. That didn't make sense. She'd begun meditating since then; she should be stronger.

Doctor Oobleck's hand settled on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Aspen? That was quite the effort."

Aspen nodded, already feeling her energy return with every breath. Pushing off the boulder, she took a half-step back, expecting to feel the cliff face behind her. "Yes. I just did not—" She staggered, finding only empty air. What? Catching her balance, she stepped to the side, toward Doctor Oobleck and Rhys, and looked back at the tunnel.

Two feet. She had moved the boulder two feet, more than twice what she'd done before, and now the gap was wide enough to easily pass through. She hadn't even noticed. Something bubbled up in her chest, volatile and indecipherable. She closed her eyes. She had grown stronger; she just hadn't realized by how much. Was it a good thing?

Rhys came up beside Aspen and tapped her on the arm, causing the feeling in her chest to dissipate. She opened her eyes to see him bouncing back and forth on his feet, a grin on his face. His aura danced with awe and excitement. |That,| he signed, pointing at the boulder, |was so cool!| Aspen returned his smile as best she could.

"If you've recovered," Doctor Oobleck said, adjusting the straps of the pack he carried, "shall we continue?" He held out a pair of cylindrical black devices.

Taking both and passing one to Rhys, Aspen flicked the switch on the side. A cone of light sprang from the fluted end, striking the cliff face and splashing into the surrounding fog. Aspen clicked her tongue. Her scroll had a light on it, but this… electric torch was more powerful and less cumbersome. Doctor Oobleck turned on a torch of his own, but Rhys hesitated. |Is something wrong?| she asked.

Rhys hung his head. Any positive emotions he had been feeling had been filed down into a single point of fear directed at the tunnel. |Can I… hold your hand?|

Her hand? Aspen cocked her head. |Why?|

Embarrassment and irritation bubbled up in his aura. |Forget it,| he signed, flicking on his flashlight and turning to the tunnel. His fear sharpened.

Aspen grabbed his shoulder. |Wait.| Raising her fist to her chest, she moved it in a small circle. |I am sorry.| She hadn't meant to make him think she wasn't willing, and while she still didn't understand his sudden fear of the havashah, she wouldn't force him to tell her. She held out her hand and waited. After a moment, his aura settled, and he took it.

With three torches providing light, the tunnel took on a different appearance to Aspen. The ceiling did not feel quite so high, the stairs lacked the sharp corners she remembered, and the dirt covering the stairs no longer lay undisturbed. Now, it bore multiple sets of footprints: hers, Deirean's, and a third atop them—presumably, Deirean's again. Rhys gripped her hand tighter anytime his torch settled upon them.

The tunnel was only wide enough to walk two beside one another, so Doctor Oobleck took the lead. His torch never stayed in one area for more than a second and, despite his effort to mute them, his aura bore his joy and fascination. "Remarkable, simply remarkable," he repeated to himself. He glanced back. "You said you found this place because you felt Deirean reaching out?"

A light pressure settled along Aspen's spine, trying to pull her back. She turned her attention to the edges of the ceiling, where bits of stone had crumbled away to disturb the architectural flow. "Yes. He used his presence as a signal. I do not know if he was calling out to me specifically or any rephaite that may have been near, however."

"I see. Professor Goodwitch mentioned this 'presence,' but she was light on details. Could you tell me more about it? If it's alright, that is. "

Aspen shifted her jaw, the pressure on her spine growing stronger. "There is little to say. Presence is Deirean's word for it. It is similar to your Aura in that, to rephaim, it takes on a physical force when exerted. I do not know how he does so, but when Deirean exerts his presence, it is…" Drowned. Swallowed. Consumed. "… it is as though I am submerged in the blood of those he has killed."

Doctor Oobleck hummed. "A symbol of status, perhaps? You mentioned before that rephaitic society was built on strength. Perhaps exerting his presence allows him to demonstrate his own power. Have you tried to exert your own presence?"

The pressure peaked and fired up into the back of Aspen's skull. "Why do you ask these questions?!" She bit down, tasting blood, but could no longer withhold her frustration. "What interest do you have in the Rephaim?"

The reaction surprised Doctor Oobleck, his aura growing strained. "My interests are purely academic. You need not worry." His aura relaxed, then cracked and began flaking off hints of sorrow. "Their civilization was wiped out and forgotten. Years of advancement and culture and history lost to time." He looked back at her with a wry smile. "We have an opportunity to reclaim some of that knowledge—a chance to remember. I wouldn't dream of missing it."

The answer eased the pressure in Aspen's head but did not cure it. Doctor Oobleck told the truth, and yet she still felt… distrust. "You are not like the others," she said, the taste of blood replaced with sludge, "the ones who lie and use me for their own ends." Rea Silvia. James Ironwood. Cinder Fall. Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin. Deirean. Even Qrow Branwen had seemed more interested in assuaging his personal guilt than assisting her directly.

"Yes, Headmistress Goodwitch told me the lengths Professor Ozpin went to in allowing you to be trained at Beacon."

"He threatened to kill me," Aspen said, hissing. "Twice."

Doctor Oobleck sighed. "While I wholeheartedly disapprove of his methods, I can understand why he used them. Humanity has enjoyed decades of relative peace, but there are those who would seek to disturb even that, as I'm sure you've come to learn. You arrived at a critical time in a most conspicuous manner. It's only natural that he would want to be certain which side you were on." He paused, aura swirling. "It had nothing to do with you being or not being a monster."

Aspen curled her hand into a fist around her torch, just tight enough to hurt. She looked down at Rhys. It was difficult to tell if he was following the conversation, though his inability to read Doctor Oobleck's lips from behind made that unlikely anyway. He swept the walls and ceiling with his torch with no apparent intent, and a pit of impatience sat within his aura. Glancing over, he caught her eye and cocked his head. Aspen shook hers. Rhys frowned, but squeezed her hand and returned to looking at the tunnel.

"Perhaps you are right," Aspen said, releasing the tension in her fist, "but Ozpin knew what I was before even I did. I frightened him. I disgusted him. These were not fleeting emotions. They defined his choice to threaten me, his choice to manipulate me, and his choice to use me." Her veins burned. "I do not mourn his passing."

"And I would not ask you to." Doctor Oobleck's aura was more muted than it had been, but Aspen could hear the pain in his voice. "The man you describe does not sound like the one I knew but, if that was your impression of him, then I cannot tell you that you are wrong." He drew in a breath, and his aura suddenly burst forth with warmth and comfort. "I don't believe I should have to say this, but you should not allow the way others treat you to determine your worth. Rephaite or not, you are a living being capable of independent thought and so much more. That alone places you among the most valuable treasures on this planet."

Aspen fell silent, uncertain of what to do with Doctor Oobleck's words. The pressure in her head remained.

(-)

Against the light of their torches, it took longer for Aspen to make out the light of the main chamber. They had to move much further before even Rhys saw it but, once he did, excitement burned away the residual fear in his aura and he ran ahead. He stopped at the end of the tunnel, gasping and gaping at the scale of the chamber. Doctor Oobleck had a similar reaction when they caught up. "My goodness…!" He took several shaky steps forward, eyes and torch wandering over every inch of the chamber. "I had an idea of what to expect, but this is extraordinary!"

Aspen looked around. It didn't feel extraordinary. In fact, it felt unexceptional this time around, lacking even the alienness she'd sensed on her first visit. It was just a havashah. Aspen's spine itched. While Rhys and Doctor Oobleck ventured forward to examine whatever caught their interest, she split off to walk along the perimeter. So much knowledge eluded her, dancing on the periphery. She knew it was there; she knew it was here. It had to be. She just needed to find it.

Aspen estimated the chamber to be seven hundred feet wide and eight hundred feet deep, coinciding with the arrangement of the metal pods, which she counted at fifty across and sixty deep: three thousand, and every one appearing to be empty. Several passageways similar to the eastern entrance were carved into the walls—one in the north, one in the west, and two in the south—but, even with her torch, she could not easily see where they led. Nothing brought her any closer to understanding. The closest she came was one of the lights that had fallen to the ground and shattered.

Removing one of her gloves, Aspen crouched and picked up one of the fragments. Cool. Smooth. Not stone. Glass? No, natural. Crystal. This is… She pressed the end of the fragment against her forehead. It is… It is... It is…? The edges of the crystal bit into her skin as she gripped it tighter. What is this called?!

Hissing, Aspen swung the crystal down, only to stop before smashing it against the floor. She forced herself to relax and laid it down gently instead. The Rephaim… What would they have called this? She tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. The crystals were used for lighting. She had seen humans and faunus use many kinds of lighting, from her handheld torch to the powerful lamps in Amity Colosseum. These crystals were not like those, however. They were more like… stars. Stars… or moons. Lotehm. Lotehm-il.

These crystals were like Lotehm, and so that was what they were called. Simple. Concise. Disappointing. She knew. She'd learned. She'd drawn the word out, but it was only a word. The knowledge she sought—craved—was more than just words. It was entire ideas larger than just the words themselves could convey. Havashah? She knew what havashah meant, but what was its purpose? Why was she here? The pressure in Aspen's head pushed her to stand, and she replaced her glove. Lothem-il… She scoffed, stomping on the crystal and scattering the fragments. A hollow triumph.

When Aspen made it back around to the entrance, she found Rhys standing in one of the pods, trying to close the panel on the front. He quickly noticed her and jumped out, waving. Aspen nodded in return. Doctor Oobleck knelt in front of another pod, writing in a book of some kind. He spared a glance in her direction, only to do a double-take and focus his full attention on her. "Are you alright?" he asked, rising to his feet. "Did you find something?"

Aspen pursed her lips. Doctor Oobleck was either more insightful than anyone she had met or more willing to voice his concerns. "Nothing of consequence," she said, keeping her eyes on the pod the man had been studying. "What of you? Have you learned anything?"

Doctor Oobleck's gaze lingered on Aspen longer than she liked, but he eventually relented, sighing. "I wouldn't say I've learned anything, per se, but I may have a few working theories." He flipped back a few pages in his book. "First, to clarify; you said these pods are a kind of incubator?"

"Incubator?"

"A device used to care for a child after birth."

Aspen furrowed her brow. She had told Glynda that the pods had something to do with the phase after birth, but the way Doctor Oobleck said it sounded wrong. "No. I… I do not know." The pressure in her head pulsed. "I do know that the intent was not for care."

"I thought not. They are far too large for simple incubation, and therein lies the problem." Doctor Oobleck hummed and bit the end of his pen before writing another note. "Based solely on what I've seen, I'd say they were designed for full-grown adults, but that contradicts what you've told me. Developing a theory that avoids this discrepancy has been… vexing. We're still missing too many pieces to this puzzle."

|Oh, oh, oh!| Rhys jumped forward, waving his hands frantically. He had a wide smile on his face and his eyes were bright. |What if these are like some kind of cryogenic stasis pods?|

Aspen furrowed her brow, trying to work through the unfamiliar phrase. "Cry-o-gen-ic sta-sis?" she repeated, carefully sounding out each syllable.

Doctor Oobleck nodded. "A form of suspended animation. Hypothetically, it would allow a person to survive well beyond their natural lifespan without any sensation of the passage of time." Placing his hands on his hips, he leaned forward to address Rhys with a rebuking tone. "Of course, such technology is largely science fiction!"

Rhys rolled his eyes and stuck an arm out toward the nearest pod.

Doctor Oobleck straightened up. "Point well made. Still, it doesn't explain the discrepancy in the size."

Stasis… Suspended animation… Stepping closer to the pod, Aspen extended a hand and laid it on its surface. "That is not… inaccurate." Her fingers rolled against the metal, tapping out an unguided rhythm. In her mind, Aspen hesitantly reached for the new thread. Logic had taught her about the lotehm-il, but the instinct was here now and she needed it. She grabbed hold. "We do not… stop, but our bodies cannot…" The pressure in her head spiked, and the thread slipped through her fingers. No! "Why can I not…?" Claws scraping against the metal, she curled her hand into a fist. Why was this happening?! It was there! She knew it was there, if she could just reach it! She drew her hand back and slammed it into the pod. "Why can I not?!"

"Aspen."

Worry seared her skin with a million needlepoints and pressed her into the pod. She let her arm fall. "I do not understand."

"What don't you understand?"

"Why I do not understand." A hand gingerly settled on Aspen's shoulder. She shook it off and stepped away from Doctor Oobleck. "We should move on. There are four other passages around the perimeter. Perhaps they will have answers."

(-)

Rhys and Doctor Oobleck's worry embedded itself into Aspen's flesh through the entire walk over to the northern tunnel. This only changed once they reached the entrance, and only then because Rhys's worry morphed into fear of the tunnel once more. Knowing what he would ask of her, Aspen offered him her hand, and he accepted. His touch burned.

The tunnel itself was long and rose at a shallow angle. The further they travelled, the clearer it became that the air was growing warmer and more humid, as well. Several hundred yards in, the air temperature felt comparable to what Aspen had experienced in Vacuo. While she felt no discomfort at the heat, the same could not be said of Rhys and Doctor Oobleck. The agitation in their auras grew to match the temperature of the air, and Aspen could smell the salt of their sweat. When Rhys's breath started sounding labored, she stopped. "We should turn back."

Rhys's eyes widened, and he fumbled with his torch to sign, |No, no! We don't—|

Doctor Oobleck laid a hand on Rhys's shoulder. "I'm afraid she's right. Even with proper preparation, it would be dangerous for the two of us to continue any further. Still, I hate to pass on this opportunity." Brow creased, he looked at Aspen. "Are you alright to continue on your own?"

Aspen averted her eyes, the pressure lingering in her head. "I do not…" She gripped her right arm. "Will that be okay?"

"I wasn't…" Doctor Oobleck shook his head and smiled gently. "I suppose it is possible that there could be a second entrance down this path, but I have faith that you won't run off."

Aspen pursed her lips, then nodded. "As you say."

|Hey.| Rhys tugged on her arm, eyes down. His aura shifted wildly but, a moment later, all pain drained away and left only warmth as he lurched forward and wrapped his arms around her. Aspen stiffened and waited for him to release her. Once he did pull away and had recomposed himself, he signed, |Be careful.|

Aspen nodded. |I will.| She watched the pair walk back toward the main chamber, catching glances from Rhys every few steps, before turning and pressing on alone.

Aspen smelled the water less than a hundred yards after parting with the others, the distinct scent of minerals caught in vapor. Soon after, she heard what sounded like pebbles being dropped into water. It was faint, but still audible in the comparative silence of the tunnel. By the time she reached the end, she could even make out the echo.

The chamber Aspen entered was much smaller than the main chamber, perhaps a quarter the width and depth and half as tall, and she estimated it was nearly level with the bottom of the chasm. The chamber was almost completely featureless save for a waist-high stone cylindrical wall protruding from the center of the floor, around a hundred feet in diameter. She peered over the edge.

Reservoir.

Chunks of lotehm-il embedded into the reservoir wall reflected off a store of water some thirty feet below, lighting the shaft with an ethereal glow. More chunks had been embedded further below the water's surface, possibly to track the total volume of the water, but Aspen still could not tell just how deep it went. The sound she had been hearing came not from pebbles, but a steady stream of bubbles rising at the center of the reservoir. Aspen hissed. More useless information.

The only other feature of note was a second tunnel carved into the wall opposite the one she had entered. The air was even warmer here; wherever this tunnel led, it must have been the source of the heat. Stopping at the entrance, Aspen shone her torch down the tunnel's length. It sloped downward at a much steeper angle than even the descent at the entrance. This tunnel did not have proper steps carved into it, however. Rather, single footholds just large enough for a booted heel or toe to rest upon forced a path into the depths. Grooves carved on either side of the footholds offered handholds in case one's feet slipped.

Aspen knelt and tapped a claw against the stone. It did not take much force for her to crack the surface and, once she did, the surrounding stone flaked away with ease. She stood. This tunnel may have been safe once, but now… She would not risk herself without knowing what was at the bottom. What a waste.

With nothing left to investigate, Aspen started back down the tunnel to the main chamber. She felt Rhys and Doctor Oobleck's auras at the other end, far enough to blend into an indistinct pressure reaching up for her. The pressure in her head was stronger. Giving in to gravity, Aspen slipped into a run, then a full sprint. Was she wrong? Was there actually anything of value to be learned from the havashah? Why was she here? What am I looking for?

The air grew lighter and cooled, stripping away the heat still clinging to her skin. Ahead, Rhys and Doctor Oobleck's auras disentangled from one another, revealing their lingering worry. Worry. Aspen slowed to a stop. They were still worried about her. If she ran out of the tunnel, it would only grow worse. She hissed, her hands curling into fists. I will have to walk.

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel, Rhys's aura behind it. Aspen looked down at her torch, only to find it extinguished. When had she turned it off? Flicking the switch back on, she directed it to meet Rhys's. His aura popped with surprise, then surged toward her with something between anxiety and excitement. Aspen bit back a grimace and forced herself forward.

Rhys came into view not long after, running with an awkward gait. He held his torch in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, and Aspen realized his strange movements were a result of trying to keep both steady. Stopping just short of running into her, Rhys fumbled with the bottle and torch for several seconds before huffing and holding the bottle out to her. He gave a toothy smile. |Water?|

Aspen's lips twitched. Water? No, Rhys couldn't have known about the reservoir. He and Doctor Oobleck had both overheated and perspired, so they would have needed to rehydrate. It was only natural for him to treat her as though she were the same, even when he knew she wasn't. The offer was an attempt at kindness and accepting it would be a kindness in return. Nodding, Aspen took the bottle and sipped from it. The water was lukewarm at best, yet she still found relief against the heat still trapped in her body.

Another light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Doctor Oobleck. Oblivious, Rhys bounced back and forth on his toes. |What did you find? Anything interesting?|

Aspen pursed her lips, burying her agitation. Adjusting her hold on the bottle, she pointed down at Doctor Oobleck. "Regroup first."

Rhys puffed out his cheeks and scrunched up his eyes in complaint, only to giggle and start off ahead without even asking to hold Aspen's hand. She followed him but, as she got close, he spun around and started walking backward. |Really, are you okay?| he asked, a frown on his face. His aura tingled with concern. |You've been kind of weird since the forest.|

Aspen kept her eyes forward, above his head. She could lie, but it was clear he knew the truth. Besides, she didn't like lying to him. "It is not something you need to be concerned about."

Rhys let out a guttural sigh. |I want to be concerned! I told you before that I want you to feel like you can trust me.| Pursing his lips, he cocked his head. |I'm your partner, your friend… aren't I?|

Air escaped between Aspen's lips without her bidding. She had lost Rhys's trust before because she hadn't told him about being Rephaim. Was she risking losing his trust again over this? Was such a steep consequence truly warranted? "It is not so simple." She'd known she was Rephaim, and she'd known the risks of that secret. This… She didn't know what this was, much less how to share the burden it created. Her skull ached. "I do not have the words."

Rhys frowned, but the cold emptiness of his aura showed the true depth of his despair. |Will you… Will you tell me when you do have the words?|

Aspen grimaced. She hated this. "I will try." The words did little to soothe Rhys's aura.

(- -)

Doctor Oobleck was, of course, interested in as many details of the chamber as Aspen could offer, and she felt his frustration when such details proved to be few. Still, he recorded them in his book, speculating on the purpose and function of the reservoir and secondary tunnel. Aspen offered her input where she could until Doctor Oobleck finally resolved to solve the mystery at a later date and suggested they continue. Aspen was all too glad to do so.

The western passage was far shorter than the northern one, though it led to a chamber of approximately the same size. Rather than a reservoir, however, a forty-foot diameter metal sphere sat prominently in the center of the chamber atop a wide stone pedestal. Neither Rhys nor Doctor Oobleck seemed to have any shortage of awe for this sculpture, all lingering worry vanishing on seeing it. The pressure in Aspen's mind hummed.

The sphere was formed by several dozen interconnected rings. No single ring formed the full circumference of the sphere, however; rather, each ring had a different diameter that ran along the sphere's surface, like a slice from a hollow ball. At first, the rings seemed to overlap at random, but Aspen noticed several distinct points where multiple rings converged, nine points in total. Each ring touched exactly two of these points, and each point was connected to every other point. This design was intentional.

Words fell out of Aspen's mouth, unbidden. "It is a map." Her breath caught in her throat as some of the pressure bled away. Was this… Was this the key?

Doctor Oobleck stepped back from where he was inspecting the sphere. "A map?" He raised his torch to inspect the upper half. "I suppose it does bear some resemblance to a globe. The question is…" Shuffling off his pack, he dug around inside until he removed a well-worn roll of paper. "…what is it a map of?"

Aspen ignored him, walking around the globe with her gaze fixed upon it. Point, point. Point, point. Locations relative to one another. What locations? What would the Rephaim make a map of? What would be significant enough to— She stopped beside Doctor Oobleck, her torch fixed on a point located roughly a third of a hemisphere above the equator. "Havashae. This is a map of the havashae."

Doctor Oobleck looked up from the paper map he had laid out in front of himself. "You're certain?"

"I am." It felt right. Her torch drifted down and to the left—south and west—and around a quarter of the globe's circumference. If the point she had been on was where they were now, in Vale, then this… This is my havashah. Her heartbeat quickened. She wanted to reach out and touch the point, as though it might somehow flood her mind with all the answers she sought. For all she knew, it would.

An excited grunt caught Aspen's attention. On the far side of the room, Rhys waved at her with one hand while pointing at the wall with the other. Reluctantly, she peeled herself away from the globe to see what he'd found.

Embedded into the wall were two arrays of glass lenses, each twelve-and-a-half feet across and some thirty feet high. The lenses were each two inches in diameter, spaced six inches apart from center-to-center. Shining a torch into one of the lenses, Aspen saw that there were actually several lenses stacked one in front of the other, refracting her light against the stone around them, but obscuring whatever lay beyond.

The arrays were separated by around five feet of wall that was bare save for a shoulder-height square carved deep into the wall. The edges of the stone inside the square seemed unusually worn, however. Curious, Aspen placed her hand against it and pushed. The stone budged, but only barely. Bracing herself against the wall, Aspen put more force into pushing the button. It wasn't anywhere near as heavy as the boulder outside but, around the point where she was elbow-deep in the wall, it hit something else and came to a stop. When she withdrew her arm, the button ground its way back out on its own until it was once again flush with the surrounding stone. As far as Aspen could tell, nothing had happened.

Rhys nudged her arm with his elbow. |So, you think this has something to do with the stasis-whatever pods out there?|

Aspen didn't see how it couldn't. Even just estimating based on scale, there must have been the same number of lenses as there were pods. The pressure in her head grew. |Yes, though I do not know what.|

Rhys nodded, then struck a pose that Aspen assumed was supposed to help him think: hands on his hips, eyes narrowed, and tongue poking out from one side of his mouth. He cocked his head a moment later. |These seem like the kind of lights you'd see on a control panel, right?| he signed, tapping one of the lenses. |Maybe they're supposed to light up if someone's in that pod, and then someone can push that button to let them out?|

Aspen clicked her tongue. Though she didn't know the phrase control panel, she was familiar enough with Human and Faunus technology to understand what Rhys described. It didn't feel wrong, at least, and it did make sense. None of the lenses were illuminated, and she knew there were no other rephaim in the havashah, so pushing the button wouldn't have done anything. If there had been rephaim here, then—

"No…" Like the seam on an old waterskin filled beyond its limit, the pressure in Aspen's mind burst open and realization rushed forth. She staggered back, eyes wide. Other rephaim… Deirean could have gone to any havashah—with the globe, he'd have known each one's location—but he did not need any havashah. He needed her havashah.

Rhys's hands moved, but Aspen did not register the signs they made. This array would not help them. She turned and ran toward the entrance, dismissing Doctor Oobleck's words of alarm. The globe would not help them. There were two tunnels left in the havashah, but only one chamber left to explore. If it was what she thought it was, they were damned already.

Rhys and Doctor Oobleck followed but could not match her pace. She was back in the main chamber in seconds, and she reached the nearest of the southern tunnels in as much time. Her heart pounded in her chest. Even from here, she could smell them and knew that she was right. Moments later, she saw them. "No…!"

Blades. Hundreds—thousands—of blades, set into dozens of stone racks. Each blade was identical to the one Deirean wielded against her in the city. Aspen's torch fell to the ground. Her mind's voice screamed at her. A single blade in the hands of a single rephaite could kill hundreds. Three thousand blades in three thousand hands could kill millions.

"No!" Aspen grabbed the nearest rack and ripped it out of the ground, sending it crashing down on another. Blades crashed against the ground and other blades, filling the chamber with the clattering of metal. It was useless. Deirean had no use for these blades, not now. Aspen sank to her knees.

"Aspen! What is— Oh… Oh my…"

Aspen felt Rhys run up to her and place his hands on her shoulders. Instinct told her to throw him off, to rid herself of his worry and fear, but she latched on instead. Better his pain than her own. Doctor Oobleck shambled over to the upended rack and picked up one of the blades. He let out a gasp, followed by a hiss of pain. Shock overflowed in his aura. "…even through my aura?" he muttered.

"Reph—" Aspen swallowed through the lump in her throat. "Rephaitic steel. Sharp enough to cut even itself."

Shock was replaced by fear. "And Deirean has one of these?"

Aspen hissed. Her claws dug into her palms. "Why do you worry over one blade?! Do you not see it yet? Deirean is not the one who will kill you."

Doctor Oobleck's aura writhed and shook, then settled as he regained his composure. "It would seem you are several steps ahead of me. Perhaps you could explain what 'it' is that I should be seeing?"

The calmness in his voice grated against Aspen's mind. "The havashae are where pech ter'al become rephaim—they… grow, change—but there are no rephaim here. They are gone. They are Grimm. All rephaim are." She drew her hand up and thrust a single claw into her breastplate. "Except for me."

Realization dawned on Doctor Oobleck's face. "And if you're here, then perhaps there are others where you came from."

"Deirean knew this. It is all he has ever wanted from me." Grinding her teeth, Aspen shook Rhys loose and stood. She snatched the blade from Doctor Oobleck. "And now he knows where my havashah is because I told him!" Releasing her fury in a scream, she hurled the blade toward the far end of the room. It clattered against the ground several seconds later.

Doctor Oobleck placed a hand on her shoulder, his aura stiffening. "You can't blame yourself for this Aspen."

Aspen snarled and batted his arm away. "It is my fault. Everything that has happened is my fault."

"No, it's not. Ugly as it may be, the truth is that Deirean didn't need to know which havashah was yours. He had a map to every single one on Remnant and who knows how many thousands of years to search them all. Even if he went to yours last, there is always the possibility that there are other rephaim in those havashae. He would have found them eventually. Learning the location of your havashah was simply the most expedient means of doing so."

"Then I have both doomed Mankind and hastened your end."

Doctor Oobleck sighed, though it sounded more to Aspen like a huff of annoyance. "Aspen, why is it you decided to become a huntress?"

Aspen glared at him. What did this have to do with anything? The man did not back down, however, forcing Aspen to turn her gaze aside. "At first… At first, it was to kill. I knew only the basic meaning of the word when I first heard it, but calling myself a huntress felt… right. It is like calling you human or Rhys faunus." She struggled for other words and found nothing. "It is just right."

The flood of thought and emotion in Aspen's mind had receded for a moment, and she looked up at Doctor Oobleck again. "I know now that a huntress's duty is not to kill but to protect, even at cost to myself, but this changes nothing because I did not decide to be a huntress. It is what I am. I knew I was a huntress before I knew I was Rephaim, and if being a huntress means protecting others, then that is what I will do."

A hint of amusement bloomed in Doctor Oobleck's aura, even as he stifled a chuckle. "Do you know, most students I ask would answer the other way around? They become hunters and huntresses because they want to protect others." He shook his head before Aspen could say anything. "I don't mean to say your approach is wrong, but it is not enough to simply be a huntress. You say you will protect others if that is your duty, but what is it you want?"

"Why does it matter? How is what I want any different than my duty?"

"It is a matter of motivation. Why do you protect others? Do you do it simply to protect them?" Doctor Oobleck lowered the wire frame on his face to look at her over the lenses. "Or do you do it to protect yourself?"

Electricity coursed through Aspen's body, driving her away from Doctor Oobleck and Rhys. Protecting others… to protect myself? She was faster, stronger, and sharper than humans or faunus. She could heal wounds that would kill them. She had no reason to protect herself over them. She hadn't, not since the attack on Beacon… had she? No. "I am not protecting myself. What would I even need to protect myself from?"

Doctor Oobleck's aura dried out, the edges curling inward. "That's not a question I can answer. Your fears are your own, as are your justifications for those fears."

Monster.

Aspen drew in a sharp breath and hissed. "I am not afraid. I am…" She curled her hands into fists. "What I want is to protect people. It is what I have done and what I will continue to do. I will do whatever I have to so that they do not have to suffer the pain that I…" She swallowed. "So they do not have to suffer anymore."

"Is that why you haven't tried to exert your own presence?" Aspen snarled, turning on Doctor Oobleck. Of course that was what this was about. Rhys grabbed onto her arm to stop her from attacking, but there was no fear in the man's aura regardless. "I've heard of the effect it has on non-rephaim. I can't imagine how it feels, and I can understand why you would avoid the possibility of inflicting it. Deirean has already caused many people horrible pain, myself included, but those choices and actions should not reflect on you." He stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder once more. "What you are—what you were born as—doesn't determine who you choose to be."

Aspen's mind burned. "Do not pretend to care for me!" She shoved Doctor Oobleck back, nearly knocking him into a rack of blades. His aura burst into coarse strands of shock that scattered across her skin. Rhys pulled at her arm, but she easily yanked it away. It had all been lies; to hide what, she did not know, but she would not be fooled again. "I know who I am, and I know what I have done. Deirean's actions are my actions." Moisture pricked at her eyes, so she shut them, seething against the agony within herself. "What did he do to you?"

"Aspen—"

"What did he do?!"

Doctor Oobleck's aura withdrew, but Aspen could still feel the remorseful chill. "Another of my students, Miss Pyrrha Nikos, had the misfortune of encountering him during the attack on Beacon. She survived, thankfully, but her injuries are…" He cleared his throat. "The road to a full recovery will be long, if possible at all."

Pyrrha Nikos. Aspen breathed the name through clenched teeth. She recognized it; the girl with the aura like copper. More blood on her hands. "We should leave. There is nothing left for us here."

She could feel Doctor Oobleck struggle to settle his aura. "I… Very well." He took a sword, the metal scraping against stone, before proceeding back toward the main chamber.

Aspen took a slow breath in, only to be interrupted by Rhys gently nudging her arm. She knocked him away reflexively, only for him to shove her back. She opened her eyes. |Don't push me!| he signed, baring his teeth. His aura was liquid with anger. |Why are you being like this? Why won't you tell me what's wrong? Why won't you let me help you?|

Aspen shuddered, wiping the moisture from her eyes. "It hurts too much," she whispered. "I do not want you to be hurt as well."

Rhys huffed. His anger cooled, and his aura resolidified. |Shouldn't that be up to me? Just because you're hurting doesn't mean you have to hurt alone. Whatever it is, I can help. I'm here for you.|

"Yes," Aspen said, turning her head away to look out over the swords—away so that Rhys would not see, "but you will not always be."


As I mentioned last chapter, this whole segment blew up beyond my initial plan. Needing to detail the entire layout of the havashah, figuring out how everything works, figuring out where to place all the different conversation beats I wanted to hit, and weaving Aspen's descent through all of that wound up being a tricky process.

Speaking of—and forgive me for being grim—it feels fitting that Aspen should hit her lowest point at the geographical lowest point in the story thus far. That said, this is her lowest point, and it'll be mainly uphill from here. I'm sick of writing depressing stuff.

Alright, that's what I've got for now. Au revoir!