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As we returned to the city, our footsteps felt lighter, but the weight of what we'd done stayed with us in a different way. The crystal was safe, and we had made sure it wouldn't be easily found, yet there was a quiet awareness in each of us that the journey we'd taken together had shifted who we were—and that shift carried its own responsibility.

Back in the city, we quickly realized just how much our absence had been noticed. People greeted us with open smiles and curious looks, as if sensing we'd come through something monumental. Whispers circulated around us, blending tales of our journey with mythical embellishments, and while they knew little of the details, they seemed to sense that a shadow had lifted.