Braze wobbled as his boots found solid ground, his legs trembling with the lingering strain of their ordeal. He turned to watch Aris flop onto the grass, and felt a pang of shared exhaustion. Lowering himself carefully beside him, Braze let out a deep, shaky breath, the sense of relief washing over him like a wave. They were back. Home. Safe.
The warmth of the fields winds wrapped around them like a comforting blanket, the towering oak above casting its protective shade. Braze tilted his head back briefly, the sunlight filtering through the leaves that russtled softly was reasuring. His attention was then drawn to the objects scattered in the grass before them.
The orb-like prism lay askew, its dark gleam beautiful but oddly terrifying to Braze. Beside it rested the peculiar holocron, its design seeming even stranger now that he truly looked at it. Drawing another deep breath, Braze closed his eyes, focusing past the fatigue that pulled at his mind and body. He reached out with the Force, feeling the weight of both artifacts as he levitated them gently into the air.
Sweat beaded on his brow as he brought the prism and holocron closer, his concentration intense. Carefully, deliberately, he aligned the pieces and slid the prism back into its resting place within the holocron. A soft click resonated, and the faint hum of the device returned, its energy stabilizing as if in acknowledgment.
The holocron immediately pulsed with light, its intricate patterns glowing brighter until the projection of Master Shae'lan Vosara emerged, larger and more commanding than before. The Togruta's face was impassive for a moment as he surveyed the scene, but his piercing gaze quickly narrowed, locking onto Braze.
"Padawan Braze," Vosara said, his voice low and sharp.
"Do you understand what you've done?" He stepped closer,
"The Umbral Prism is no trinket to be toyed with. It is a gateway—a perilous bridge to realms few can traverse and even fewer can escape unscathed."
Braze looked down, shame coloring his expression, but Vosara pressed on, "
Did you not sense the danger? Did you not feel the Force's warning, or were you simply blind to it in your eagerness to explore what you did not understand?"
"I didn't know," Braze muttered, his voice almost inaudible.
"I didn't mean to—"
Vosara cut him off with a raised hand.
"Ignorance is no excuse, Padawan. The Force offers guidance, but it cannot save you from your own recklessness. Your curiosity has already endangered not only yourself but also your companion." His gaze flicked to Aris.
Vosara 'exhaled', his tone softening but remaining firm.
"You are fortunate to be alive, both of you. The Shadowed Realms do not release their hold easily. That you stand here now is a gift, one the Force does not grant lightly."
The Togruta folded his arms, his eyes still locked on Braze.
"Let this be a lesson you do not forget. The tools of the Force are not mere objects for flights of fancy—they are responsibilities. Before you touch another, ask yourself: are you prepared for the consequences? If not, then do not act."
The projection dimmed slightly as Vosara straightened, his expression unreadable.
"Locking the prism away was wise. It belongs within the holocron, not in the hands of the unprepared. But it will not forgive another misuse, Braze. Remember this, or the next time you might not return." 
Valor the Forsaken
in that eerie clone facility with Jasper. A sense of unease settled over him at the memory. Valor had shared his face—much closer than most Echani, who already looked similar to each other. But he hadn't had his own eyes. That much was certain.
