The young woman ran through the mud, her boots striking the wet ground with almost calculated precision. Behind her, two drowners chased her, their emaciated and slimy bodies twisting grotesquely as they moved. Their drooling tongues writhed furiously, and their piercing yellow eyes stayed locked on their target.
She didn't seem afraid, though. With each stride, she glanced quickly over her shoulder, her features strangely calm almost too calm for someone fleeing monsters. Maybe this wasn't a chase after all.
The drowners growled, growing more excited as they closed the distance. Then, without warning, the woman veered sharply to the right. One of the creatures, caught off guard by the sudden turn, slipped and fell into the mud with a guttural cry. The other, faster and more agile, quickly recovered and continued the pursuit, ignoring its fallen companion.
A whistle sliced through the air. An arrow shot out from the shadows and struck the drowner still on the ground, embedding itself deep in its throat. The creature let out a muffled gurgle, its claws scraping at the earth in a final spasm before collapsing lifelessly.
The second drowner, entirely focused on capturing the young woman, didn't notice a thing. As its prey seemed to slow down slightly, it lunged forward, claws outstretched, ready to strike. But it never reached its target.
A shimmering blade appeared in a swift and precise motion. The monster's head was severed with a dull thud, rolling across the ground before coming to a stop in a muddy puddle. The lifeless body crumpled heavily to the ground.
The young man emerged from the shadows, lowering his sword in a calm gesture before wiping the blade on his cloak. His eyes shifted to the corpse at his feet as a sly smile stretched across his lips.
"Efficient, huh?" he said, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.
The young woman came to a stop, placing her hands on her hips, barely out of breath.
"I did all the work," she replied with a wry smile.
"You're an excellent distraction, I'll give you that," he added, sheathing his sword.
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I was extracting the brain of the drowner when Sylvanna, the young woman who had convinced me to follow her for her so-called "plan," stood beside me. She stepped closer, arms crossed, and said in a teasing tone, "You know, witcher, you're not much of a gentleman. You let a poor woman like me act as bait for your hunts."
I kept working without looking up, focused on extracting the brain. In a calm voice, I replied, "I'll consider you a woman when you start sharing details about yourself. We've been traveling together for a month, and you haven't said a word about you or your real plan."
With precision, I placed the brain into a jar, sealed it, and moved toward the body of the second drowner. Without even glancing at her, I declared, "Don't think we have any sort of relationship. I don't trust you, and until you start talking, I'm only following you to find that so-called land where the orb is located."
Sylvanna frowned as she followed me, her teasing demeanor giving way to a more serious expression. She opened her mouth to respond, but I stopped abruptly and looked her straight in the eyes.
"I'll give you until we arrive. If you stay silent until then, we'll part ways."
Her gaze darkened. She took a deep breath and stared back at me. "You don't really want the orb, do you?" she finally said.
I held her gaze, my voice as calm as ever. "Yes, I do. But I'm not your dog. I won't follow your orders blindly. If you don't change, this partnership ends here."
I turned and resumed walking toward the corpse, leaving her standing still. Behind me, I felt her hesitation. Sylvanna clenched her fists, then placed a hand on her chest. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. When she spoke again, her teasing smile returned, though it betrayed a fragility she couldn't fully hide.
"Alright, handsome. Looks like I really have fallen for your charm. Maybe I've got a thing for witchers," she said in a mockingly light tone.
I straightened up after retrieving my arrow from the drowner's body and turned to her. "Let's head back to camp. Tell me everything, and I'll decide if I can trust you."
I walked off confidently, leaving her to follow. Despite her casual appearance, her steps betrayed hesitation. She followed me with measured movements, and in her eyes, I could see a faint glimmer of fear beginning to set in.
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I added a few more branches to the fire and brought over the roasted meat, still hanging from an improvised spit. Sitting down on a log, I fixed my gaze on Sylvanna, who sat a bit further away. She had wrapped her arms around her legs and was staring intensely at the fire. In her eyes, there was a fragility that sharply contrasted with the provocative and teasing woman I had met a month ago. Was it all just a façade?
But I wasn't stupid. Living with Yennefer had taught me to detect lies and attempts at manipulation. And, truth be told, I had grown used to it.
What surprised me most was Ganon. He had grown oddly attached to Sylvanna. Like tonight, and every other night, he lay down beside her to offer her support. She often leaned on him, and sometimes, I could hear her crying at night. She didn't know that I knew.
Of course, I wasn't fooled by her decision to accompany me. Her "help" in finding the orb was hiding a much darker intent. Perhaps revenge? Despite my compassion, I needed to know what I was getting myself into. The first rule of witchers: always keep a cool head.
Breaking the silence, I handed a skewer of meat to Sylvanna. Without looking at me, she took it and handed it to Ganon. The horse happily ate, which brought a fleeting smile to Sylvanna's face. Once the meat was gone, she tossed the stick into the fire. Ganon rested his head on her knees, and she began to stroke him gently. Then, in a calm and sad voice, she spoke:
"When I was a child, they said I was cursed. No matter what I did, no one understood me. Everyone kept their distance."
She paused, rubbing her tear-filled eyes, then continued:
"My parents… they rejected me, despised me. They cursed the day I was born. Yet, amidst the chaos, there were two people who mattered to me: my sister and an old man I thought of as a grandfather. With them, I had the illusion of a somewhat normal life. But…"
Her fists clenched suddenly. Her voice broke:
"My sister… the one I trusted the most… betrayed me."
She looked up at me. I saw raw, burning hatred in her eyes.
"She did nothing. Not a word, not a gesture to protect me from the looks of disgust. I begged her, my parents, the servants. But all I got were hateful glares. And above all..."
She stood abruptly, startling Ganon. She walked toward me, stepping around the fire, and stopped right in front of me. She grabbed my gear roughly, our faces nearly touching.
"My sister… she dared to avoid my pleading gaze! She let it all happen! When I was exiled from my homeland, they dragged me like an animal. They spat on me, punched me in the stomach until I coughed up my guts."
She stopped for a moment, trembling.
"And then… the knights… the ones sworn to protect the innocent. They beat me, starved me, until they sold me to bandits. I was no longer a person. I was humiliated… reduced to…"
Her voice choked. She rested her head against my chest and sobbed. Slowly, I placed a hand on her head, staying silent.
"They took everything from me," she whispered. "I survived on pure hatred. And when I saw you, I thought I could use you for my revenge."
She cried even harder.
"I'm sorry, Aiden. I didn't want to… but I had no choice. Forgive me… please…"
She cried herself to exhaustion. When she finally fell asleep, I picked her up and laid her on Ganon's back. The horse, with an almost human tenderness, comforted her by licking away her tears. I gently pushed his muzzle away.
"Let her sleep, you big oaf," I muttered. "Horses eat grass, not meat."
Ganon snorted loudly, as if offended. He rested his head on Sylvanna to keep her warm and nudged me as if telling me to leave. I sighed.
"Idiot…" I murmured before walking off.
At the edge of a pond, I washed my face. I sat down on the ground, placing my sword beside me. The reflection of the stars in the water was soothing, but my mind was restless.
"What am I doing…?" I murmured, rubbing my head. Mimicking Vesemir, I chuckled: "Aiden, a witcher must always stay neutral, no matter the situation."
I pulled out the necklace Ciri had given me. A faint smile appeared on my lips.
"And you, Ciri… what would you say? 'Screw neutrality, help Sylvanna,' right? I miss you..."
As I stood up, a vision chilled me to the bone. In the center of the pond, a woman emerged. Her silver hair gleamed like the moon, and her eyes, as deep as a calm lake, seemed to pierce my soul. Her light gown floated around her, as if it were part of the mist.
Drawing my sword to fight, the woman was surprised and laughed.
"Witcher, I'm not here to fight, but to help you choose," she said with a laugh.
Surprised, I asked, "You mean about Sylvanna?"
The woman smiled and replied, "Indeed. Sylvanna, according to her, is a woman whose life was turned into a nightmare by lies and stories fabricated by someone."
I sheathed my sword, though I remained cautious, and asked, "Can you explain?"
The woman let out a soft, almost hypnotic laugh. "Of course. Are you familiar with the curse of the Black Sun?"
I nodded and replied, "Yes, witcher books mention it. According to them, Eltibald claimed that an eclipse heralded the end of human civilization by sixty girls born under the Black Sun. These girls were said to become cruel creatures, bring about the return of the goddess Lilit, and cause the world's end… or so the books say."
The woman nodded slowly. "Indeed, that's the story everyone tells," she said calmly, pausing.
Then, her tone grew more serious. "But all of it is false. A fabrication. A manipulation created by someone who didn't want the truth to come to light. Witcher Aiden, or should I say Aquila, the bearer of hope, do you want to know the real story this world has forgotten? Not the curse of the Black Sun, but…"
She approached me slowly, lifting my chin with her finger. Her eyes glowed with a strange light as she whispered, her voice both seductive and teasing: "The Song of the Autumn Twilight."