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Raheem seemed relieved upon seeing Hector approaching. “Lord Goffe. How would you like us to proceed? I do not think my father would want us venturing in there without him, even if only to investigate what happened.”

“He told us endlessly how dangerous it was,” said Munir at Raheem’s side. Munir was much younger, though it hardly showed by appearance alone. “We should wait for him to wake up before doing anything rash.”

“We cannot just sit here,” said Jibril, the balding man on their right. He was even younger than the others--a great-great grandson of Abbas, as Hector recalled--and yet he looked older than everyone here. “Didn’t you see the state Worwal was in? They will be out for days, at least.”

Hector could understand their reticence, especially after seeing what had happened to Abbas, but he was already in agreement with Jibril here. “It’s alright,” said Hector. “I’ll go in first. I already have a... rapport with the Candle. Wait for my word before following.”

Raheem returned a nod. “As you say, lord.”

Munir seemed less certain, however. “And what if you also fall unconscious, Lord Goffe?”

“He won’t,” said Jibril. “He already went in there once to retrieve him.”

“Briefly, yes,” said Munir, “but we have no idea what prolonged exposure may do. If you are to go, lord, then you should not be alone.”

“Hmm,” hummed Hector. The man might’ve had a point. But Hector really didn’t want to put any of them at risk when the situation was still so uncertain. “Alright, here’s what I’ll do: I’ll go in alone, but I’ll keep a materialized orb hovering outside the door. As long it remains hovering, you’ll know I’m still conscious. Sound good?”

And Munir took a moment, but he nodded, as did the others.

Jibril reached into a pouch inside his robe and pulled out a radio, handing it to Hector. “This probably won’t be necessary, but take it just in case.”

Hector did so. And without further ado, he walked over to the open hole where the door used to be and reentered the tree on his own. Privately, he asked Garovel if he wanted to wait outside with the others, but the reaper refused, of course.

‘I actually feel safest inside this spiffy new armor of yours,’ the reaper told him.

Hector didn’t argue. Without knowing more about what they were dealing with here, it was anyone’s guess what the safest course of action really was.