The crackling of the fire created a quiet tension, or rather, the tension was already present, all the fire did was add to its weight.
The Cranebird sizzled under the heat of the flames, the sky above was still sheathed in Spheris's [Immediate Darkness], and on the earth was a giant red crystal, a bird, a boy sprawled on the floor and another sat beside him.
Spheris removed his gaze from the fire and began his narration;
"When I came to Endswatch, I felt more lost than I ever have. Angry... more at myself and a bit at the world. But I knew my life had changed no matter the way I tried to look at it, it was either I died inside this place, or by some miracle, I made it out. And even if I did, I wouldn't be the same Spheris Arnadel... the thief.
"I struggled with this knowledge for a while, but after Meister Grengo gave us our first lesson, I realized something, something that turned it all around for me. I realized that my life hadn't changed at all."
