Chapter Twelve – Echoes of the Past
The road stretched before them, winding through thick forests and rolling hills. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of damp earth from the recent storm. Birds chirped in the distance, and the occasional rustle of leaves signaled the presence of small creatures darting through the underbrush.
Gilgamesh walked a few paces ahead, his golden eyes scanning the horizon. His presence had begun to feel natural within the group, yet there remained a distinct air of otherness about him—something beyond even Frieren's age and wisdom.
Fern had noticed it most of all.
He wasn't like the elves she had met. Not even like Frieren.
There was something ancient in the way he carried himself. A man who had seen empires rise and fall, who had walked alongside legends and gods, and yet here he was, walking the same dirt roads as them, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Finally, her curiosity got the better of her.
"Gilgamesh… what was your kingdom like?"
He paused mid-step.
For a moment, he did not answer. Then, with a slow breath, he continued walking. "It was a land of prosperity. A civilization of wonder. The envy of all who laid eyes upon it."
Fern's eyes widened. "That sounds amazing."
"It was."
"But… it's gone now, isn't it?"
Gilgamesh chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Yes. Long gone. Even before I chose to sleep, it had already faded into dust."
Fern hesitated. "Do you miss it?"
Gilgamesh looked up at the sky, his expression unreadable. "I have lived too long to dwell on such things."
Frieren, who had been silent, finally spoke. "That's a lie."
Gilgamesh turned his gaze to her.
She met his eyes without hesitation. "Even I remember my past. You do too. Otherwise, you wouldn't have woken up."
The wind rustled through the trees.
Gilgamesh smiled, though there was something distant in it. "Perhaps you're right."
Fern looked between them, feeling as though she had glimpsed something beyond her understanding.
Stark cleared his throat. "So, uh… where exactly was your kingdom?"
Gilgamesh's gaze drifted to the distant mountains. "Far away. Across lands that no longer exist. It is better left forgotten."
Fern wanted to ask more, but something in his tone made her hesitate.
There was a weight in his words, the kind that only someone who had outlived their own history could bear.
The conversation faded, and they continued walking in silence.
Some things were meant to be left in the past.
But not all things stay buried forever.