Revsha looked at the older harpy, his curiosity piqued as the conversation deepened. He had felt an unspoken connection with the older harpy, Nothelia, her wisdom and quiet strength radiating in a way that made him wonder if she held the key to the answers he sought.
He tilted his head slightly, then asked, "What's your name?"
The older harpy paused for a moment, as if weighing the question, before she answered with a voice that carried both pride and weariness. "I am Nothelia," she said, her eyes meeting his with an intensity that seemed to look straight through him. "I am one of the last of my kind who remembers the old ways, and I've lived to see both the pain and the hope that comes from change."
Revsha nodded, processing her words, and sensing the weight that her name carried. Nothelia. It was a name that had seen its fair share of battles and loss. But there was something else in her—something resilient, perhaps even hopeful, despite the years that had shaped her.
"I've heard stories of Selene," he said, shifting the conversation. "She came to your clan and defeated the Skyfangs. Can you tell me more about her? About what she did after that?"
Nothelia's gaze softened, and for a moment, it seemed like she was lost in thought, remembering a past that had shaped the very essence of her clan's history.
"Selene," she began, her voice calm but filled with respect. "She was a warrior unlike any other. Strong, fierce, and full of compassion for those who had suffered under the Skyfangs. She didn't just fight for the victory—she fought for freedom. For us, for the Beastfolk, and for all those who had been oppressed. When she defeated Lotharius, the leader of the Skyfangs, it wasn't just about the battle. It was about breaking a cycle of violence that had bound our people for generations."
Revsha listened intently, the pieces of the puzzle coming together in his mind. He had always been drawn to the idea of breaking cycles, of finding a way out of the endless loop of violence and betrayal. Selene's actions, it seemed, had paved the way for a new hope.
"And what happened after that?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity. "How did your clan survive? How did you go from being at war to finding peace?"
Nothelia's eyes glinted with a mixture of pride and sorrow as she spoke. "Some of us, like the Tarag clan, sought peace. We abandoned the old ways of domination and embraced the teachings that Selene left behind. We fought to protect what we had left and rebuild. But others, like the Skyfangs, still clung to the old ways, to the hunger for power and territory. And that's where the real struggle began."
Revsha's thoughts raced. The Skyfangs, even in defeat, were still a threat, and the Tarag clan, despite its efforts to change, had to face them again. He knew that whatever path he chose, he would need to understand the heart of this conflict—what drove the harpies to fight, and how to stop the endless cycle.
"And now?" he asked, his tone more serious. "What is happening now? What is the danger your clan faces?"
Nothelia's face darkened slightly. "The Skyfangs want to take control again. They see our clan as weak, as something to consume. They believe that by destroying us, they can establish dominance over the mountains and beyond. They are led by those who have corrupted the ideals that Selene fought for—those who wish to use power to control, to dominate. And they will stop at nothing to achieve that goal."
Revsha's jaw tightened. He had faced betrayal and danger in his own past life, but this was different. This was about something larger, something that could affect more than just his own survival. This was about breaking the cycle, about protecting the freedom that Selene had fought for.
"We need to stop them," Revsha said, his voice resolute. "I won't let your clan fall to them. I will help you protect what Selene worked so hard for."
Nothelia regarded him with a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Perhaps you are the one who can help us, Selene. You carry her spirit within you, and perhaps you can unite the clans once again. But beware... the Skyfangs are not easily defeated. They have allies and resources, and they will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal."
Revsha nodded. The challenge ahead was immense, but he wasn't one to shy away from a fight, especially one that could change the course of history.
"Then we start preparing," he said firmly. "We can't let them destroy what's left of the hope Selene gave us. I'll fight beside you, Nothelia. Together, we'll stop them."
Nothelia's expression softened, her eyes showing a rare glimmer of gratitude. "Thank you, Selene. I hope that you can lead us out of this darkness, just as she did. But be ready—this battle will not be easy, and it will test everything you have."
As the night grew darker and the stars above flickered in the cold mountain air, Revsha felt the weight of Nothelia's words. He wasn't just fighting for his own survival anymore. He was fighting for a cause greater than himself, a cause that could change everything. And with that determination in his heart, he knew that the journey ahead would shape the fate of not just the Tarag clan, but the entire region.
With the fire crackling before them and the wind whispering through the mountains, the real battle had only just begun.
Revsha sat across from Nothelia, his mind spinning with the weight of her words. The story of Selene, the hero who had defeated the Skyfangs and broken the cycle of violence, seemed to grow more complex with every passing moment. He wanted to understand her completely—who she had been, how she had shaped the world, and how her death had impacted everything.
"Nothelia," he said, his voice quieter now, the questions pressing against him. "You mentioned Selene's teachings. Can you tell me more about what she believed? About how she lived her life? How did she come to inspire not just your clan but the Beastfolk and others?"
Nothelia looked at him with a mixture of pride and sadness. For a moment, her eyes seemed to drift to a far-off memory, her voice heavy with both reverence and sorrow.
"Selene was... different. She was a hybrid—part human, part cat, part bear," she began, her voice slow, as though carefully choosing each word. "Beastfolk like us were hated by humans. We were treated as animals, monsters to be feared, yet Selene, with her mixed blood, was the living proof that we could be more. She carried the strength of all her ancestors—humans, beasts, and others—inside her, and yet she never let that power turn her heart to stone. She believed in the good of people, even when it seemed impossible to find."
Revsha leaned forward, hanging on every word. He had been born into a world of betrayal, where people had used him, broken him, and cast him aside. He wondered how Selene could have believed so completely in the goodness of others.
"How did she live with so much trust?" he asked, almost to himself. "With all the betrayal and hatred surrounding her, how did she hold on to that belief?"
Nothelia's gaze softened as she regarded him, understanding the question behind his words.
"She knew that not everyone could be trusted. She wasn't naive," Nothelia said, her voice steady. "Selene understood the dangers of trusting too easily, but she believed that there were people worth trusting, people who could rise above their past and their fears. She didn't judge a person by their race, their history, or the mistakes they had made. She judged them by what they did in the present, by the choices they made. She taught us that true strength wasn't in how we fought, but in how we could love, how we could protect those who were vulnerable. She said that if you found someone who truly trusted you, you had to protect that trust with your life."
Revsha's chest tightened as he listened, and a part of him felt an unfamiliar stirring deep within him. Trust. He had always struggled with it. After all the betrayals, how could anyone trust again? And yet, Selene had believed in it. She had believed that the key to breaking the cycle was to love those who trusted her, to give people a chance—even when they were from different backgrounds or had different ways of life.
"But didn't she..." Revsha faltered, then asked the question he had been avoiding, the question that had haunted him since he had first heard of Selene's legendary deeds. "How did she die? I know she defeated Lotharius, but what happened after? How did she leave this world?"
Nothelia's expression hardened, and for a moment, she seemed to withdraw into herself. It was a pain that Revsha could feel in the air, thick and unspoken.
"Selene died defending the very thing she fought for—freedom for her people, the Beastfolk, and the clans that had been oppressed. She and the Beastfolk she had freed fought against the Skyfangs one last time," Nothelia said, her voice growing quieter. "But it was no ordinary fight. Lotharius had gathered forces from all over the continent—he had allied with corrupt humans who sought to take control of the Beastfolk lands. They had set a trap, and Selene walked right into it. She knew she couldn't win, but she fought anyway. She fought for the Beastfolk and for every person who believed that they could be more than the hate they were born into."
Revsha's eyes narrowed, the weight of the truth settling over him. He had heard of heroic deaths, but this... this was something else. Selene had known she wouldn't survive, but she still gave everything to protect those she believed in.
"Was she alone?" Revsha asked, his voice tight with the rawness of the story. "Did she have help?"
"She had us—her family, her allies. We fought beside her until the end," Nothelia said. "But even in the end, Selene made one final choice. She chose to die so that we could live. She sacrificed herself, but not just for us—she did it so that no one would have to endure the suffering we all had. Her death broke the cycle of violence, but it also left a hole in our hearts that no one could fill."
Revsha sat in silence for a long moment, processing everything he had heard. Selene had sacrificed herself for others. She had believed that love and trust could change the world, that they were stronger than the hatred that divided people. Her death had brought an end to the violence, but it had come at a great cost.
Finally, he spoke again, quieter this time, but with a new sense of resolve.
"She believed in love," he said softly. "Even in a world full of betrayal and hatred. She believed that we could trust others, that we could find a way out of this endless cycle of violence. I want to honor that belief. I want to make sure that her sacrifice means something."
Nothelia nodded, her eyes glinting with something like approval.
"Then you understand now, don't you?" she said. "You are more than just a warrior. You are a symbol, just as Selene was. You carry her spirit within you, and it is your choice whether you will use it for good or let the world break you down."
Revsha stood up, his mind buzzing with the weight of everything he had learned. Selene's teachings, her sacrifice, the power of trust, love, and unity—all of it now felt like a guide for his own journey. He wasn't just fighting for survival anymore. He was fighting to break the cycle of hatred, to rebuild what had been lost.
"I will," he said, voice firm. "I will carry her legacy. I'll fight for those who can't fight for themselves, and I'll protect the trust that's been given to me. I won't let her death be in vain."
And with that, the resolve in his heart solidified. The road ahead was still long, and the battles would be fierce. But for the first time in a long while, he felt like he was on the right path.
Revsha sat quietly, absorbing Nothelia's words. The elder harpy's voice carried the weight of years, each syllable laden with the sorrow of loss and the wisdom of survival. She spoke of Selene, the hybrid warrior who had once united the harpies, who had bridged the divide between their world and the human world, who had died protecting those she loved.
"And in the end," Nothelia said softly, "Selene broke the cycle. She showed us that even the most hated and feared can choose a different path, that trust and love are more powerful than power alone."
Revsha nodded slowly, his mind racing. Her story echoed in his thoughts—he had heard echoes of this before, in his own life. It was strange, how closely Selene's journey paralleled his own past. Betrayal. A struggle to trust. A desire for power and control. And in the end, sacrifice. She had defied her fate, refusing to be a puppet of the system, and instead forged a new path—a path that was not defined by hatred and bloodshed.
Something inside Revsha stirred. It wasn't just coincidence that he had arrived here. Something more was at work—something that connected him to Selene and to the harpies. He couldn't deny the truth any longer.
He looked up at Nothelia, his voice steady but filled with a new sense of clarity. "You're right. She didn't just fight to protect her people. She fought to break the cycle, to change things—change herself, change the way things were done. She showed us that change is possible, even for someone like her. Like me."
Nothelia tilted her head slightly, her sharp eyes narrowing. "You understand, then? You are not here by accident, are you?"
Revsha's mind flashed to his past life, to the betrayal that had brought him here—to this world. He had died because he trusted the wrong people. But now, in this life, he felt something different. A possibility. A chance to rewrite the ending to his story.
He looked back at the harpy, his gaze unwavering. "I think I am here for a reason. I think... I think I need to do what Selene did. I need to break the cycle. And I need to help you, and your people, do the same."
Nothelia watched him closely, her ancient gaze studying him as if she could see into his soul. "You do not carry her legacy just by being here, young hunter. But you could, if you choose to. Selene did not just change the world with her strength; she did it with her heart. She loved those who trusted her, and she fought for a future where others didn't have to suffer the same fate. You will need to do the same."
Revsha stood up, the weight of her words settling heavily on his shoulders. His path wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about finding a purpose. A new purpose. The realization hit him hard—he wasn't just here to gain strength or power. He was here to break the cycle of destruction and make a lasting change. It was his responsibility, just as it had been Selene's.
"I won't make the same mistakes I did before," he said, determination rising in his chest. "I'll help you. I'll help your people. And then... I'll help the others. I'll bring them together, so they don't fall to the same cycle of power and destruction that Selene fought against."
Nothelia's eyes softened slightly, as if seeing something new in him—something that hadn't been there before. "You may be the one we've been waiting for, then. To change everything. To protect the legacy of Selene and shape a future where we can all live in peace. But you must be careful, young one. Power comes with temptation. And those who desire it will seek to corrupt you just as they did her."
Revsha nodded, understanding the weight of her words. He was walking a dangerous path, one filled with uncertainty and peril. But this time, he wasn't alone. And this time, he would make sure he didn't allow history to repeat itself.
As he turned to leave the elder's side, the young harpies who had been watching him from afar approached cautiously. They too had heard the stories about Selene, and now they saw something in Revsha that they hadn't before. Not just a hero or a figure of power, but someone who could truly make a difference.
He had no illusions about what lay ahead. There were still battles to fight, allies to gather, and enemies to defeat. But for the first time since his reincarnation, Revsha felt like he was on the right path. He had a purpose—one that was bigger than himself.
And he would make sure to honor the legacy of Selene, to break the cycle, and to protect those who he will trust.