The chill of the stone walls bites into Noctis's skin as she steps further into the heart of the orc base, her mind racing with thoughts of her brother. The sight of him, broken and desperate, only strengthens her resolve. She can't fail him. Not now. Not ever.
Her breath is shallow, the damp air clogging her lungs as she moves silently through the shadowed halls of the fortress. Her senses are on high alert, every creak of wood, every footfall echoing off the stone, heightening her awareness.
Focus.
she reminds herself.
She has to stay calm. If she panics now, she'll ruin everything. Her eyes dart around, scanning the dimly lit corridors for any sign of movement. She can't afford to be caught. Not here. Not now.
Though the potion makes her invisible, it doesn't mean she's without risk. Every tiny sound—the rustle of her cloak, the soft tap of her boots on the stone floor—could be her undoing. She clenches her jaw and moves as silently as possible, each step deliberate, careful.
Don't breathe too loudly. Don't make a mistake.
Her heart races, her pulse pounding in her ears, but she forces herself to block it out.
If they hear you...
The invisibility potion is still working its magic, rendering her invisible to those around her, but she knows she doesn't have much time before it wears off. The sense of urgency gnaws at her.
She has to find the information she came for. She has to find that barrier object. She doesn't even know what it looks like, but it doesn't matter. She has to get her hands on it, whatever it takes.
But where is it?
As she slinks through the dark corridors, every door she peeks through, every hallway she explores, offers no sign of it. Nothing. The orcs are busy with other things. Too busy. She can hear their muffled voices, but the words are unintelligible, and they don't seem concerned with her. But that only makes her feel more on edge.
It's too quiet.
Too easy.
The silence feels wrong. There has to be something else, some hidden danger waiting just beyond her sight.
I can't afford to be careless. Not now.
Her pulse quickens as the weight of failure starts to sink in. She's already searched two floors, and still no sign of the object.
Am I missing something?
She thought this place would be crawling with guards, with hidden chambers, with secrets at every turn. Instead, it feels... empty. Desolate. But nothing is ever truly empty, is it? There has to be something more, something she's overlooking. She can't give up. Not when everything depends on this. She has a plan, and she won't let fear take that away.
I'm not leaving until I have what I came for.
But the weight of failure keeps creeping in, clinging to the edges of her thoughts, tightening her chest. What if this is all for nothing? What if she's just wasting her time? The doubt is suffocating, but she pushes it away. She has to keep moving. She can't let her brother down—and some part of her wants to succeed for Legion and Blaise, too.
Her eyes narrow as she reaches another hallway. She hears voices now—two orcs speaking in low, hushed tones. Her heart skips a beat.
They might know something. This is it.
She creeps closer, holding her breath, leaning in to listen. Every instinct screams at her to back away, but she forces herself to remain still. She can't leave without something. Without anything.
She moves toward a room at the end of a long corridor, her senses alert to the sounds of voices coming from within. Two orcs are speaking in low tones, too quiet for Noctis to make out, but the cadence of their words sends a shiver down her spine. She has to hear what they're saying.
Noctis crouches near the door, her breath slow and measured, listening intently.
"...the humans and hybrids, working together to destroy strongholds," one of them says, his voice rough and grating. "It's only a matter of time before they reach the next target. The monarchs think that adding another stronghold to their list of conquests will speed up the collapse of the human resistance."
The mention of humans catches Noctis's attention, and she presses closer, narrowing her eyes. It sounds like they're planning something bigger. She listens more closely, holding her breath to catch every word.
"Indeed," the other orc grunts, his voice tinged with approval. "The humans and hybrids have grown stronger. They're becoming more coordinated, working together to attack places that were thought to be impenetrable."
The first orc snorts. "More like it'll add another layer to the problems they already have. Those humans are relentless. But they think they can just keep adding more strongholds to their list to 'destroy' would make the world an instant better place." There's a pause, and then he lowers his voice, as if sharing a secret. "Little do they know the monarch of Creation—he has something planned for the future. I hear it's already in motion."
The name strikes Noctis like a lightning bolt. *The Monarch of Creation.*
It's surprising how I was just talking about it. But there's a resistance? People who take down strongholds, is that even possible? And if so, how do they do it?
"Yes, yes, the monarchs always have something planned," the second orc replies with a scoff. "But Creation is different. His plans aren't just about power or territory. They're something more... something we don't fully understand."
The first orc chuckles darkly. "Of course. It's the key. But even I don't know all the details. It's just that the monarch of Creation... he's been quiet for too long. And now... now we're starting to see why. Something's changing. Our monarch isn't happy about it. But he won't do anything unless he sees a reason to."
Noctis's heart hammers in her chest.
There's so much I don't know about this world, since I have been here since birth. I want to know everything about this world, so I need—
"...we should be ready," the second orc mutters. "When Creation moves, everything will change. No more resistance, no more strongholds. It'll be a new world."
The first orc nods. "A world under their rule. It would take a long time, but I don't mind the wait."
Abruptly, the door opens, and they walk out, forcing her to hide behind it as she holds her breath.
I may not have found the barrier object, but I learned something new—a faction that's fighting against them. Maybe when we leave, we can join them.