The Weight of Worlds

The desert heat hit them like a physical blow as they stumbled back through the rift. Jaden's mind reeled, still processing the vast, incomprehensible vista of the cosmic nexus. Beside him, Zoe swayed on her feet, her usual fiery confidence dimmed by the weight of what they'd witnessed.

"Did that... really just happen?" Marcus asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dr. Nasser rushed towards them, his face a mix of relief and confusion. "You vanished!" he exclaimed. "One moment you were there, the next—"

"How long were we gone?" Dr. Chen cut in, her scientific mind already racing to quantify their experience.

Nasser checked his watch, frowning. "Perhaps... five minutes? But the energy readings from that time, they're unlike anything—"

"We need to go," Jaden interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "Now."

As they boarded the Quinjet, Jaden couldn't shake the sensation of otherworldly eyes upon him. He glanced back at the excavation site, half-expecting to see the Weaver's shifting