The morning air was cool and crisp, filled with the scent of dew and woodsmoke as we made our way out of the village. Redstone lay several days' travel to the east, a journey that would take us through forests, hills, and perhaps the remnants of the Order's once-expansive influence. The Order of the Crimson Light had been powerful once, standing as guardians against the Abyss for centuries. Now, they were a scattered, broken remnant of what they had been. And we were left to pick up the pieces.
Leon walked behind us in silence, his steps slow and uneven, as if each one was an effort. Karis kept her eyes forward, her pace steady and determined, but I could tell she was constantly checking on Leon, even if she didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say to him either—what could I say? Nothing would bring Mira back. Nothing could take away the suffocating grief that pressed down on him like a storm cloud, thick and unmoving.
As we reached the edge of the village, the path wound through a thick copse of trees, their branches arching overhead like sentinels watching our departure. I glanced back at the village—at the life we were leaving behind—wondering if those people had any idea what was really happening in the world. To them, we were just strangers passing through, faces that would fade from memory once the day's chores were done. But the shadows we carried, the things we had seen, would stay with us long after we left.
The forest closed in around us as we followed the narrow trail, the sounds of the village fading behind us until all that remained was the soft rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds. Karis led the way, her eyes sharp and alert, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. I fell into step beside her, matching her pace, while Leon trailed behind, his head down, his thoughts distant.
After an hour or so, Karis spoke without turning to me. "You think the Order will even help us?"
I shrugged, though I knew she couldn't see it. "If they have any strength left, they will. They have to."
She nodded, but I could sense her skepticism. "They were crumbling even before the Abyss broke free. Internal power struggles, splinter factions… They've been divided for years. That's how the Abyss was able to gain so much ground in the first place."
I knew she was right. The Order's decline had been slow but steady, with factions breaking away, each convinced they had the true path to safeguarding the world from the Abyss. In the end, that division had cost us dearly. The cracks in their unity had allowed the Abyss to creep back into the world, and we were left to pick up the pieces.
"If they won't help us," I said softly, "then we're on our own."
Karis glanced at me, her expression grim. "We've always been on our own."
---
The first day of travel passed in tense silence. Leon remained withdrawn, his thoughts buried in the fog of grief. He barely ate, only stopping when we stopped, and resting when we rested. Karis kept her focus on the path ahead, her mind likely occupied with tactical concerns. I tried to make conversation once or twice, but the responses were short and clipped. It was clear that none of us were ready to talk about what had happened.
As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor, we decided to make camp for the night. We found a small clearing near a stream, the gentle sound of flowing water providing a small measure of peace. Karis set about gathering wood for a fire, while I unpacked our supplies. Leon sat at the edge of the clearing, his back to us, staring into the darkening forest.
Karis returned with a bundle of sticks and logs, setting them down beside the fire pit we had hastily constructed. She worked quickly, arranging the kindling and striking a flint until the fire flickered to life, casting a warm, orange glow across the clearing. The light danced on the surface of the stream, shimmering like molten gold.
"I'll take first watch," Karis said, her voice flat.
I glanced at her, but she didn't meet my gaze. "I can take it," I offered, though I knew she wouldn't accept.
She shook her head, already settling herself against a nearby tree, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. "You need rest. We all do."
There was a finality in her tone that left no room for argument, so I nodded and turned back to the fire, staring into its depths as the flames crackled and popped. The warmth was a welcome reprieve from the cool night air, but it did little to thaw the cold knot in my chest.
Leon remained where he was, unmoving, a dark silhouette against the trees. I thought about going to him, trying to talk, but something held me back. Maybe it was the look in his eyes earlier, the hollow emptiness that seemed to swallow everything. Or maybe it was the simple fact that I didn't know what to say. How could I? How could anyone?
Eventually, I gave in to the weariness that had settled over me like a heavy blanket, lying down beside the fire and closing my eyes. Sleep came fitfully, my dreams filled with echoes of the Abyss, Mira's face, and the cold, unfeeling void that stretched out before us.
---
The next day's travel was much the same as the first—quiet, tense, with an undercurrent of exhaustion that seeped into everything we did. We passed through dense forests and open fields, the landscape shifting around us as we pressed onward. The weather held, though dark clouds gathered on the horizon, promising rain in the days to come.
By the third day, we reached the foothills that marked the beginning of Redstone's territory. The landscape grew rockier, the trees thinning out as the path wound higher into the hills. Redstone was a fortress built into the cliffs of a mountain range, its walls rising high above the surrounding countryside. It had been one of the Order's strongholds, a place of power and refuge, though rumors had reached us that it had been abandoned after the last great conflict with the Abyss.
As we climbed higher, the air grew colder, and the wind picked up, tugging at our cloaks and whipping through the grass. The clouds overhead had thickened, and the first few drops of rain began to fall, splattering against the rocky ground.
"We're close," Karis said, her voice raised over the wind. "Another half-day's travel, and we should reach Redstone."
Leon didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the path ahead, his face pale and gaunt. His grief seemed to be consuming him from the inside, hollowing him out until there was nothing left but the shell of the man he had once been. I watched him closely, worry gnawing at the edges of my thoughts, but I didn't know how to help him. None of us did.
---
The rain began in earnest by the time we reached the final stretch of the journey, a steady downpour that soaked through our clothes and made the path slick with mud. The wind howled through the mountains, carrying with it the sharp scent of wet stone and pine.
Redstone loomed ahead, its massive walls rising up out of the cliffs like a monolith. The fortress had once been a symbol of the Order's strength, a place where their greatest warriors had trained and where their most powerful relics were kept. But now, it was dark and silent, its gates closed, its towers empty.
We approached cautiously, the weight of the place pressing down on us like a physical force. The rain pelted the stone walls, and the sound echoed in the stillness, magnifying the eerie sense of abandonment that clung to the air.
"This doesn't feel right," I muttered, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword.
Karis nodded, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the walls. "It's too quiet. Even if the Order is scattered, there should be guards. Or at least some sign of life."
We reached the main gate, a massive iron structure that towered above us, its surface rusted and pitted from years of exposure to the elements. Karis stepped forward, raising her hand to knock, but before she could, the gate creaked open, the sound loud and grating in the silence.
I tensed, my hand tightening around my sword's hilt as the gate swung inward, revealing a dark, empty courtyard beyond. There was no one there. No guards, no movement. Just the cold, wet stone and the oppressive silence.
Karis glanced at me, her expression grim. "Stay alert," she said quietly, her hand drifting to the dagger at her side.
We stepped through the gate, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the empty space. The courtyard was vast, lined with crumbling stone buildings that had once housed the Order's warriors and scholars. Now, they were dark and abandoned, their windows shattered, their doors hanging open on broken hinges.
"This place has been deserted for a long time," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.
Karis nodded, her eyes sweeping the area. "We should check the main hall. If there's anyone left, they'll be there."
We made our way across the courtyard, our movements cautious and deliberate. The rain continued to fall, creating a mist that hung over the ground like a shroud. Every sound seemed amplified—the clink of our armor, the rustle of our cloaks, the drip of water from the stone walls.
When we reached the entrance