๐ ๐ข๐ฎ-
-๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ.
-๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐น๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ.
-๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด.
-๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ.
-๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
-----
Ryukre spread out a map, laying it across the table.
"Is there a need for a map?" Kryva had to hold in her impatience, but she knew her voice still held a hint of her irritation despite trying her hardest to keep it hidden.
A small part of her wanted to let the group know that she hated wasting time.
Ryukre practically ignored her tone as he pointed out several different parts marked on the map. "These marked spots are where the small villages had formed. It would be of our best interest to take small detours to these villages even if they are in Neutral Lands."
Luna and Kryva both furrowed their brow in confusion, but Luna was the one that asked the question on behalf of both of them, "But why should we stop at these villages? What will they offer us?"
Surya responded this time, his face still covered by that white mask of his for some obscure reason. Kryva couldn't help but feel nervousness at the gaze that seemed to look everywhere at once. "While the villages don't hold anything of interest, we should still stop around. Maybe there'll be useful weapons or relics that we can collect? After all, there should be a plentiful amount of abandoned weapons in the Neutral Lands since not many travel across the lands except the exiles."
"Even still, it will delay our time to reach the World's End."
"World's...End?" This time, Ryukre's brow furrowed in thought as he absorbed the information. "I thought we wereโฆ?" He trailed off, almost as if he were confused as to what to believe.
"Don't tell me this entire time you didn't know where we were going?" Kryva spoke up this time, ignoring the strange "competitive" look from Luna.
"No...it's just that, why would you call it the World's End? It is not where the End of the World it is. It is merely where all parts of the World touch. The setting sun, the horizon, and the endless darkness are all united at where you call it the World's End. I call it the Abyssal Dawn, because it is where the setting sun and the abyss meet." Ryukre explained thoroughly, with much more clarity than Kryva would have expected from a place so far away.
"Have you been there before?" Luna questioned, skeptical for her own reasons.
Ryukre shook his head quickly. "No, I have never been there. I simply heard stories of where I came from. Which reminds me, I should have asked this question earlier. Where are you three from?"
Surya shifted in his chair, his movement becoming tense as the topic from their route to reach the World's End, or the Abyssal Dawn as Ryukre called it, changed to their origins.
"I'm from Achen, but I assume you already knew that considering all of you recognized me." Kryva went first as she was the most recognized one. She certainly did not recognize Ryukre or Surya, and she only knew Luna as Houvdon's friend.
"Etherstorm." Luna went next, and Kryva's finger twitched.
Luna was from the same territory as Houvdonโฆ? That meant that their roots were even deeper than she had realized.
The Princess of Achen completely missed the look that Luna had sent her, almost as if the brown haired girl was trying to gauge her reaction.
Did Serene know Luna once upon a time? Serene had mentioned that she had known Houvdon in the past. It was likely, but it was also possible that the two girls didn't know each other. If she remembered correctly...Serene had said that she and Houvdon had not met for many years prior to their meeting on the day of the Festival as well as that day in the hallway.
"I'm actually from Reveria." Ryukre broke Kryva's thoughts as he flashed a small smile at them.
"And I am Achen."
This got her full attention. Surya was from Achen? Had she met Surya before? Now that she had thought of it, Surya seemed familiar.
The way he spoke...that speech of his.
Yet, her thoughts were broken once again as Ryukre spoke up again. "What about dreams? What we want to do in the future?"
The already established "man of few words" Surya rejected this question almost instantly. "No. Talking about our homeland is already...exposing ourselves enough. I would rather not talk about my future plans. We are merely comrades by chance."
He stood and still, Kryva couldn't figure out anything about him. During the hour the group of four had been together, Surya had not taken off his mask once.
The only things she knew about Surya was that he disliked talking about himself, and the few times he did talk in general was in very short sentences.
But where had she seen that mask beforeโฆ?
Surya left abruptly, leaving Kryva and Luna to awkwardly sit around the table with Ryukre having a guilty look on his face.
"Don't ask us about this stuff again." Kryva felt responsible for making sure that this situation did not happen again, as Surya was from Achen.
It was her duty as the future ruler of Achen to look after her people.
Ryukre frowned, seemingly more distraught then he should have considering they were all strangers.
Luna looked over at Kryva, who was still deep in thought. The brown haired girl raised her finger, suggesting, "We should leave within the hour. We have spent too long delaying our journey."
Ryukre nodded slowly. "Yes...I will get Surya. Meet us in the front of the inn in a few minutes."
The native of Reveria vanished as he passed through the doorway.
Luna and Kryva did not move from their position. Kryva, because she was pondering over an unknown matter, and Luna because she was still looking at Kryva with an intense gaze.
"Is there something wrong?" The Princess of Achen finally noticed the heated look Luna was directing at her.
Luna leaned forward, a glint in her eye. "Kryva Pellemeur...how did you meet Houvdon?"
It was almost as if a flip had been switched. Her cold outward expression that was so similar to the mentioned Prince immediately disappeared.
What took its place was a look of utter defeat.
The defeat was fixed in an instant. Kryva looked away, choosing to look through the window. "I met him on the same day the Supreme Oracle issued this quest."
She couldn't hide the guilt and the grief that tainted her eyes, nor the breaking of her voice. She spent only a few more seconds looking out the window, before standing from her seat.
Luna glared at Kryva, who then left the room rather quickly. Luna clenched her fist as she glared at the backside of the princess.
How could someone who led to the death of someone else feel guilty about their own actions?
-----
Ryukre was waiting for them.
He was already seated atop of his mount, three horses near him in a loose group.
"Where is Surya?"
"Right here."
Kryva almost jumped out of her skin as Surya's presence was completely missed by her. She wasn't even aware that he was leaning against one of the wooden pillars supporting the stables.
She had even glanced over that spot and didn't realize Surya was standing right there.
"Where is Luna?"
Kryva felt irritation at the name of the mentioned girl. She let herself break down too easily at just the sound of his name, showing off a weakness in front of Luna.
"She should be right behind me."
She quickly mounted her horse, grabbing onto the reins. "I'll scout ahead. We'll head straight north." Her red eyes glared ahead, not looking at either of them.
She took off quickly, leaving Ryukre and Surya confused.
Ryukre could only think to himself, 'this girl is strangeโฆ'
-----
Kryva gave a quick huff as the wind blew against her and her horse, the cloak she donned flowing backwards.
She slowed her horse, putting enough distance between her and the new group she would have to travel with.
"What am I even doing?"
Her head hurt.
She pressed her palm against her temple, massaging it lightly. It was different. For some reason she couldn't imagine herself becoming a part of their group.
It was too different.
It would bring up too many memories of Houvdon, Zylaorfier, and Serene.
Even if the four of them were only together for the Lantern Festival, she had spent time in a trio with Houvdon and Zylaorfier, as well as in a trio with Zylaorfier and Serene after Houvdon's death.
Zylaorfierโฆ
She felt a pang of regret. He was closest to Houvdon and she hadn't even tried to help him. Instead, the Prince of Nihlahim spent most of his time helping her emotionally recover from losing her literal second half.
Was that what Houvdon meant by, "Their destined separation will be even easier?"
She dismounted her horse, leaving it to pace around. She glared at the distance, every passing second of utter silence causing her to get more and more angry.
She let out a scream of frustration as fire burst from her fingers. The embers licked the dead grass at her feet, but did not spread.
She could only stand there, her anger receding back into her closed heart. The flames that gathered around her due to her aura soon faded, leaving no hint that she had even lost herself for a brief moment.
She closed her eyes, letting the cold facade she had built around her cover up her frustration.
Was it even possible to change so much because of a single person?
She didn't know the answer...but she would figure it out.
Kryva rode off further north after her brief episode, not even noticing the figure behind the trees watching her.
-----
Lord Pellemeur, Kirva, sat down on the wooden chair, folding his hands in front of him in a dignified manner. Yet, even with this dignified front, his arms shook lightly at the simple action.
"You haven't recovered?"
Kirva sighed as he flexed his fingers. "No. To be honest, I don't know what exactly happened to me. But my body has been severely weakened." He frowned, moving so his red eyes would land on the corner of the room where almost no light pierced. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"Something has been bugging me. I'm trying to see if the answer is somewhere here." The voice was quiet, almost as if he had pondered his answer to talk in a way to be ambiguous, yet was still unsure about his own answer.
The young Lord Pellemeur pursed his lips as he continued to press for a solid answer. "Is there a reason why you are looking into our powers?"
The hand that had outstretched almost into the light froze before retracting back to his side. "As I said, something is bugging me about Kryva. Something isn't right."
"...what exactly are you talking about?"
"You know as we grow stronger, we change, except that only happens at the breaking points where we ascend a Rank and climb the ladder. The problem is your sister has never reached any of these breaking points, yet she has changed the most out of anyone I have ever known."
"Are you sure it isn't because of events that are happening around her?" Kirva raised his eyebrow.
The shadow rejected this possibility. "It's not normal to change this much despite her...certain circumstances. The irregularities in her life will not warp her to the extent that she has already been. In my opinion, this is something that is ingrained deeper within her than what any of us could have expected."
"Her...affinity?"
The figure just barely moved, and Kirva was able to tell that he had nodded through just the smallest of movements.
"That's impossible. Our Flame will not cause someone to go mad!"
"I never said that it was the Flame, nor did I say that she will go mad."
The figure waited patiently, which was most unlike him. He would usually continue on without the comprehension of those around him.
Which meant that if he was willing to take things step-by-step, it was a problem that was larger than Kirva had anticipated.
The light bulb brightened over Kirva's head as he practically bolted out of his chair. He pointed his shaking finger at the figure that was still shrouded in shadows. "Why would you even say that? You really think Kryva could be a dual-wielder?"
"I never ruled out the possibility. It may be, or it may not be. But we have to take into consideration every possibility."
"Is there any reason you would go to such great lengths for her?"
The silence that came after his question was suffocating. It was as if the person he was speaking with had completely stilled and become a statue.
"I'm willing to give everything for her. My devotion to her is something that cannot be replicated nor understood." The figure whispered.
The old floorboards were supposed to creak as he finally moved from his spot in the corner, yet the old wood made no sound.
Kirva was about to ask more questions, but the atmosphere had shifted once the one in the shadows opened a new scroll.
"What have you found?"
He didn't need to have an answer. There was no question about it if the shadowed figure had stopped completely, almost as if he were lifeless.
They had finally found a scroll that described Kryva's situation perfectly.
-----
๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐