So this is how it all ends.

After all this training. The countless hours memorizing spells and how to counter them. The endless conversations on tactics and the months of traveling through all of these countries.

They all led to this moment.

I’ve failed all of my friends. I’ve failed the people who put their trust in me.

Flashes of them swiftly passed in front of my closed eyes. Kard toying with his dagger and smiling at me. Krysha looking excited at a new discovery of a magic item. Seika and Man holding a baby I would never be able to meet. All of the people in the tower. And finally, Myriam, who was now lying dead in my arms because I was fooled by a little boy.

I wasn’t ready for the blow, but there was nothing I could do. I waited for the dagger to pierce me and yet the hit did not come.

I opened my eyes and saw there were no stairs beneath me any longer, but rather soft grass. Two big trees were barely visible in the darkness of the night, instead of the giant tree that had been in front of me before I shut my eyes moments ago.

Myriam. She wasn’t in my arms anymore. Instead, I was hugging the shield she had gifted me. The sudden rush of memories and regrets filled in the gaps of what had transpired.

It was the shield. It moved from the straps on my back and took the blow of the dagger. There was a bright light. I saw the brightness even though I had my eyes shut tight and partially covered by Myriam’s hair.

The shield saved me. Myriam saved me. This was the reason why she was so adamant about me abandoning one of my swords for a shield. She wanted me to have a magical item that would bring me to safety in case something happened to her.

After all these years, Myriam, I was still unable to protect you. Once again, you were the one who took the hit to save someone else.

I looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. She sent me away but she was left there with that monster. The only thing left to remind me of her was the purple shield I held in my arms.

“I will always love you,” I whispered my late reply, and vowed that her death would be avenged.

The shield felt warm in my hands as the words came out of my mouth Without further delay, I strapped it on my back and stood up. I tried to understand how far away I had been teleported, but the night made it difficult to recognize anything.

There were no animal sounds, something that made the atmosphere eerie. A wave of emptiness and desperation struck me—something not originating from the fact I had lost Myriam moments ago, but rather an old pain coming alive again. It felt like I’d been here before. A place where the animals lay down to die.

I did not unsheathe my swords. There was no danger, just sadness. I walked closer to the two trees in front of me and finally understood where Myriam had sent me.

This was the forest of memories in Nara. The forest my mother had created when we arrived in the village. And those trees in front of me were the ones manifested from the bodies of her parents. It was the place we met, all those years ago.

A knot was now stuck in my throat as I did my best not to scream in pain thinking of her sacrifice and of the time lost between us.

It was unfair. So unfair. She was a beautiful soul, but now she was but a bad memory for most people.

At that instant, it dawned on me. I was the only person who knew the truth about Myriam, what happened with Kai, and what he was trying to do.

I had to tell everyone. I had to make sure Myriam would be remembered for the great and caring person she was. People needed to know that she wanted to restore The Divine so that things would return to how they were, and that she was not aiding the Godsbane.

I had to find my way back to my people. I had to let them know of the truth and I needed to inform the Holy Order of what Myriam was attempting to do. If only I had my hourglass, I would be able to teleport back to the tower.

I should focus on the road ahead. Crying and becoming paralyzed by grief is not something Myriam deserves.

I felt a sliver of hope in me as I remembered of my communication earrings, but I was disappointed yet again to find they were not working at all. I wasn’t sure whether their range was exceeded or they were damaged, but the sad truth was that I had no way to communicate with my people.

Crossing the Endless Sea by myself was a daunting task. Even if I was able to procure a horse or at least a ride to Leskia, I doubted any of the captains would let me board with no gold and just the promise of being compensated by the king of Leka An upon arrival.

There was only one viable option, little as I liked it. I needed to ask for help from Elysia and the Holy Order.

I may not be able to travel easily to Leka An using just promises, but my voice would easily reach the proper ears by magical means in Elysia. I just had to find a spellcaster who would be willing to spend some mana to contact the Order for me.

No doubt the Order would send someone to teleport me to the Divine Ministry in no time. Once there, I would be able to contact my people and let them know I was alright—to let them know what happened, about Kai’s plans to fully ascend to godhood and Myriam’s attempts to restore The Divine. Once there, I would ask for the archons’ help in bringing Kai to justice.

There was no other choice. This time, we really needed them. Kai was on a route of destruction and even if he didn’t kill me, it would not stop him from wreaking havoc and finding another way to unleash his full power. The archons needed to know all of this, and I wanted them to know that Myriam was not the person they thought she was.

I had the plan formed in my head already, but my feet did not move. I felt tired and all I wanted was to remain here, the place where I felt closest to her… even though I knew this would not be what she wanted of me. I just had to go on. Just a little more, for her sake.

I took the first step toward the edge of the forest and toward Nara, thinking that someone might have moved there in the time that had passed since we’d abandoned it. I put one foot in front of the other and kept walking.

For her.

For her memory.