Mossie was about to call out to Callum that she felt her magic was too muddled to give warning, when--

A scuffle. A screech, a frantic warning, and then silence.

"Callum?" she called. "CALLUM!"

The quiet mocked her, pressing into her fuzzy ears. He's gone. He's gone and it's all your fault, you fucking idiot. You should've made him get a torch.

"Oh no, oh no, oh nonono," she whispered as she backed away from the edge. Maybe...maybe he wasn't dead. Maybe he'd just chrysalized, and she could return in 3 quarters of a cycle and get him back, and finish exploring the tunnels. Because there was no way she was leaving her Buddy For Fancy Frolicking (and murder) at the bottom of a hole.

How am I going to do it alone, though? I'll need help.

She takes a deep breath.

Okay, think, dumbass. This tunnel has carvings on it, which means it was probably created by some far-off ancient peoples or something, which means that pit was a trap. And if it's a trap, there's probably gemstones of Greaters down there--I know other gembound like those, so that's how I can assemble an adventuring party--

Wait.

Wait a fucking minute. Does that mean I just. Created a son...for nothing? For no goddamn reason?

She gasped, ears flattened against her head. I can raise him. For real.

Okay, it was way too fucking soon to get optimistic while her Buddy For Fancy Frolicking and Murder was still stuck in the bottom of a pit trap. But she'd fix this, and get him a bunch of gemstones, and give him the biggest hug. And get a light.

It's gonna be alright.

(exit mossie)