Jude looked at them, their eyes shining, faces radiant.
He nodded.
"We go together."
And as one, the Thirteen Flame stepped through.
The world beyond the threshold wasn't what any of them expected. It wasn't a tunnel or a portal or a sudden shift into another dimension. It was light - pure, soft, golden. Not blinding but embracing. It didn't burn or sting. It wrapped around them like warm water, dissolving the air from their lungs and replacing it with something deeper, fuller. They didn't walk; they floated. Their feet touched nothing, yet their bodies moved forward as if guided by the song they had created. Time became irrelevant. Jude couldn't tell how long they had been inside, but he wasn't afraid. None of them were. They held hands, arms linked, breaths steady. Even Rose, whose eyes often flickered with mystery and mischief, now looked peaceful, her lips parted slightly as she gazed ahead.