1 Day Later
Arvian and Dareth stepped out of the small house they had rested in for the night.
The house stood just outside of Azmaris City in the country of Virelthh, at the foot of the world's largest mountain, Mount Vel'Tharion.
They walked along the well-maintained inclined road that curved around the mountain. This road led to a tunnel cut into the mountain ahead, mostly used by local vechiles and caravans.
"Where are we going to train, Dareth?" The silence was broken by Arvian's question. Truthfully, he just wanted to start a conversation with his favourite character from the novel, even if it felt awkward.
"We're heading to our team base. That's where you'll meet the last remaining Velnoctene survivors," Dareth replied.
"And... when does my training start?" Arvian asked again, though Dareth could tell Arvian was just trying to keep the conversation going.
Dareth gave him a quick look and let out a sigh. Arvian's efforts were painfully apparent; every conversation felt forced due to his poor conversational skills. The boy was obviously unaccustomed to speaking to others. Dareth could not ignore him completely, though.
"Maybe I won't be the one to train you," Dareth admitted.
"I have a mission to complete. One of the others will probably take over your training."
"A mission?"
"Yes. A high-rank hidden mission, and maybe cast my life."
At that moment, Arvian's heart sank. His mind went topsy-turvy.
'A hidden high-rank mission? Oh no... I know what this is.'
He recollected the novel's events with ease. The "hidden mission" involved the Velnoctenes discovering that a small village had learned their secrets—specifically, information about the impending war and knowing that they are still alive. While in the cave, the villagers heard some of the Velnoctene members conversing. The village intended to inform the government of this information, putting the Velnoctenes in danger.
The Velnoctene team chose to destroy the village to stop this. Dareth, on the other hand, was killed during the mission in the original story. Dareth was killed by the village chief. The war information was made public after the mission finally failed.
'I can't let Dareth die... not this early.'
"Dareth! I know what this mission is... it's about the village," Arvian blurted.
Dareth's eyes widened in shock and he froze in place. His voice was sharp as he turned to Arvian.
"How the hell do you know that?"
Arvian's mind went blank. He hadn't thought this through. But now he was unable to remain silent. He fumbled for a reason.
:Ah... there's a... voice in my mind. It tells me about the future," Arvian stammered, trying to sound convincing.
Dareth's eyes narrowed. "A voice? What are you hiding? Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I... I didn't think the time was right," Arvian muttered, looking down. "But I know things—things you don't. I can help you avoid the traps and save you."
Dareth studied him closely, his expression unreadable. :You'd better not be lying, Arvian. If you know something, speak up. This isn't a game... it... it's..."
Arvian noticed the faint glimmer in Dareth's eyes, the tears that threatened to fall but didn't. Dareth quickly composed himself, but Arvian understood what those tears meant.
He knew about Dareth's past—the tragedy he had endured. Dareth had lost his wife and child, both captured and killed simply because they bore the Velnoctene bloodline. He had thought about leaving the Velnoctenes, but the harshness of the world compelled him to stay because that loss had broken him.
Arvian's heart ached for something inexplicable, something that went beyond pity.
"I don't want you to die," Arvian said softly.
"I'll help you. In the future, you'll die in that village. But we can change the future.."
Both of them continued walking until they approached the tunnel. Turning left, they walked in silence for a while, their footsteps echoing faintly in the narrow passage.
Eventually, they came to a small, unassuming cave opening. It was cramped, barely large enough for both of them to squeeze through.
'So this is the hidden base's entrance,' Arvian thought, his brows furrowing. 'In the novel, it was described so differently. Was it exaggerated, or has something changed?'
Dareth pushed aside several large stones that were piled close to the wall as they entered the cave. A long, narrow staircase that descended far into the ground was exposed with a low rumble.
"This way, Dareth said curtly, glancing back at Arvian before heading down the steps.
After walking downstairs and a lot of curved paths.
They eventually came out into a spacious underground room that was lit by a firewood pile in the middle after descending the lengthy staircase and making their way through several twisting passageways.
Three figures stood near the fire.
Bringing Arvian closer, Dareth introduced each of them with a gesture.
"This is Jaxyn," he said, pointing at a boy who looked about Arvian's age. Arvian seemed to be pierced by his cold, piercing gaze.
"And this is Zaldrick," Dareth said, nodding toward an older man seated near the fire. Despite his serene demeanour, he was filled with experience.
At last, Dareth gestured to a tall man whose long hair was tied back tightly. "And this is Declan. He'll be your trainer."
Dareth then gestured to Arvian as he turned to face the group. "And this is Arvian, our new member and fellow survivor of Velnoctene."
With a slight tilt of his head, Zaldrick's lips formed a faint smile. "Ah, so you're the boy from last time. Welcome, young one."
There was a lot of lighthearted conversation in the chamber as Arvian attempted to influence the group.
Despite his initial awkwardness, he soon managed to establish a connection with them by fabricating absurd, self-deprecating tales about himself.
Even the icy Darius smiled at his fanciful stories and oddball humour, and Zaldrick's loud laugh reverberated throughout the room. Even Declan, reserved and serious, smirked a few times.
As the day turned to evening, the mood in the room grew more serious. Dareth stood and addressed the group.
"We are heading for the mission," Dareth said firmly. "Arvian is coming with me. I'll explain the reason later."
While Jaxyn and Declan looked at each other curiously but remained silent, Zaldrick nodded solemnly.
"We will also arrive to ensure that you two aren't in danger." Eight said.
Dareth gave Arvian a long black cloak which represents Velnoctenes. And both of them headed for the mission .