I'm moving. No, I'm being moved. Carried?
My eyelids feel weighed down, my vision swimming in and out. Through the haze, I see Tsuki. He's carrying me, his strides steady despite the rain pelting down around us. His dark hair clings to his forehead, and water drips from his stoic face, but he doesn't falter. The rhythm of his footsteps and the patter of rain lull me back into the void.
-----
When I wake, the air is damp with the earthy smell of rain-soaked foliage. My body aches as I push myself up from the uneven ground. The hard surface beneath me is jagged stone interspersed with patches of soft moss.
We're still in the forest, but it's thinning. The tall, ancient trees are giving way to shorter, scraggly ones. The ground beneath us is no longer the soft dirt of the deeper woods but a mix of gravel and hard-packed earth.
At the edge of the clearing, Tsuki sits cross-legged, his sword resting beside him. His void-like eyes scan the horizon, his figure motionless, save for the occasional shift of his wind-tousled, red-tipped hair. I grab my blade and pack, pulling my cloak tighter against the chill, and approach him.
"Tsuki," I rasp, my voice hoarse. "Thank you."
He doesn't look at me but acknowledges my gratitude with a brief glance. "Lord Solice, there's no need for thanks. I am bound by my oath."
There's an unsettling finality to his words, a mechanical sense of duty that leaves no room for warmth. "You should rest," I offer. "I can take the next watch."
"Unnecessary." His gaze remains fixed ahead. "I've endured far worse than a sleepless night. This is nothing."
There's no boast in his tone, just cold certainty. I should feel reassured, but it only unsettles me further. Trust is fragile, and after Alondra's betrayal, trusting anyone feels dangerous. I shove the thought away.
Tsuki rises smoothly, gathering his things with practiced efficiency. "We should move."
-----
We walk in silence for hours. The terrain becomes increasingly uneven, the dense canopy of trees above us giving way to patches of open sky. Small, resilient shrubs cling to cracks in the rocky ground, and dry grass rustles underfoot.
At some point during our trek, Tsuki had mentioned where we were headed—Saxumidian. He said the name as though it were a foregone conclusion, a natural waypoint on this unforgiving journey. Despite his usual quiet demeanor, the word lingered in the air, heavy with meaning I didn't yet fully grasp.
The forest is behind us now. What lies ahead is something in between—a liminal space where the lush greens of Fangea transition to the harsh, barren lands that surround the kingdom Tsuki named.
-----
A few more hours of silent walking. I've had the time to think.
"Tsuki," I say finally, breaking the quiet. "You've been alive for a long time, right? You must know a lot about this world."
"That would be accurate, Lord Solice," he replies without looking at me.
I hesitate, unsure how to phrase my next question. "Did you… know Alondra?"
His steps don't falter, but his dark eyes flick toward me briefly. "Yes."
The simple answer sends a ripple of unease through me. I press further. "What do you know about her?"
"She's unimportant."
His curt dismissal stings, but he continues without prompting, perhaps sensing my dissatisfaction. "Her name has been whispered in the black market for years. She deals in information—dangerous, profitable information. The kind of details that could topple empires or save them, depending on who holds the coin."
I stop in my tracks. "She's an informant?"
He turns to face me fully, his expression unreadable. "She's cunning. Fifteen years ago, I approached her for information about the prophecy. At the time, I was searching for signs of your arrival. She knew little then, but I maintained contact, trading lifespan for rumors and faint trails."
I feel my stomach churn. "She never mentioned any of that."
"Of course not," Tsuki says, his tone as sharp as the wind biting at my face. "She's a survivor, Lord Solice. She tells what she needs to and hides the rest. I suspect she had ties to the time bandits you fought in Alstidon."
The revelation hits like a punch to the gut. "She was working with them?"
"She ensures multiple paths to profit. If the bandits succeeded in their raid, she would have gained something. If they failed, she'd spin the situation to her advantage." His voice is cold, detached, as though he's reciting a fact rather than describing a betrayal.
I clench my fists. "And yet you trusted her?"
"I didn't trust her. I used her," Tsuki replies bluntly. "The same way she used you—and anyone else she encounters. That is her nature."
The weight of his words press down on my chest. "So you knew she'd betray me?"
"No. But I would not have been surprised." He turns back to the path ahead. "We should keep moving."
I grit my teeth and force my feet to follow him, the bitter taste of betrayal lingering like bile in my throat. If I can't trust Tsuki—or anyone—how am I supposed to survive in this world?
-----
By the third evening, the forest is a distant memory. The world around us has shifted entirely. The soft hum of life in the woods—chirping insects, rustling leaves—is replaced by an eerie stillness. The rocky terrain stretches endlessly, dotted with jagged outcrops and the occasional skeletal remains of trees that once stood against the wind.
"How much farther?" I ask, breaking the silence.
"We're two days from the Kingdom of Saxumidian," Tsuki replies, his tone as matter-of-fact as ever.
"What's it like?"
"Dry," he says.
I raise an eyebrow. "That's it?"
He exhales softly, almost imperceptibly. "The Kingdom of Saxumidian, formerly known as the Kingdom of Geonis, is one of the five great kingdoms. It is the birthplace of earth magic, and its walls were shaped by magicians of old. Over the centuries, its rulers have been many, and betrayals among them even more so."
I frown. "Why betrayals?"
Tsuki's tone hardens. "A kingdom born of sin remains in sin. Saxumidian was built on the backs of slaves—dwarves, elves, nekomen, inumen. Their suffering raised the kingdom's walls, and that suffering has seeped into its foundations."
The weight of his words settles over me like a heavy cloak.
"Humans don't change, do they?" I mutter, more to myself than to him.
He doesn't answer, but his silence speaks volumes.
I wrestle with the thought. Could I change this? Could I be more than just another cog in this broken world? The idea feels naive, but I can't shake it.
Then, a scream cuts through the air, distant but sharp enough to halt us both.
I scan the rocky terrain ahead, where massive boulders form a natural maze. My hand instinctively moves to the hilt of my blade.
My eyes meet Tsuki's. His expression is neutral, detached. If he's concerned, it doesn't show. His only duty is to me, not the world.
"Let's go," I say, already moving toward the sound.
He follows without hesitation. "As you wish, Lord Solice."