(Nezira)

The power linked between holy and demon answered his call. From deep within the holy man's soul came a shackle of pure ice, then two, then ten.

The axeman was unable to move as soon as the compressed ball of frozen mana within him, slowly injected over the course of their days long fight, activated.

A beam of pure energy stretched for yards as it connected the frozen orb and the holy man's very soul. As soon as it connected a light overtook them both.

~~~

Thousands upon thousands of miles away on the coast of an alien continent, a young fisherman happened to look up, and as he did, there was light. Light that seemed divine, born out of grace and love, and yet carried none of it within., It was only for a split second, but the searing pain and smoke emanating from where his irises once were told him, and the thousands of others unlucky enough to look in that direction at the same time, everything he needed to know.

~~~

What once was a town was now nothing but ash. Buildings wiped away like stray tears, memories of home torn asunder under one man's power. Now nothing remained, nothing but him.

Laying on his back was a man long since passed. A crumbling husk of his petrified self, failing under the weight of the world he had once carried on his back. His limbs splintered and cracked, loose fragments crumbling to nothingness and ash before they hit the ground. Remnants of their lengthy battle with neither giving quarter was already gone.

And soon, as with all else, he would disappear too.

Disappear but not forgotten, for a legacy this man did create. Forged through blood, tears and love, his attachments live on.

And for that and his return to his beloved, until the world took back was owed. Even as a disintegrating petrified husk…

Kalan's smile remained.

~~~~~~~

Closing the book, the elderly man sniffed once and turned to the snake eyed man standing across from him.

“Back so soon Miklaus? I thought you had something to do?”

“It will have to wait, though I’m not surprised. There’s no way Reiji would be in the mood to talk.”

“Seems having all the power and knowledge you could want can’t always solve everything.”

“The time will come for our talk, after all I can’t blame Reiji for hating the three of us.”

I pondered over my mind, debating on asking why, but I knew I wouldn’t receive an answer.

“Miklaus, did you know he would find a way to use that power? Was this fated to happen?”

“It was.”

“Oooooh, how exciting. These mortal games never cease to keep me intrigued. I wonder what will come next.” Looking towards the once sandy battlefield.

“Freedom.”

(Ryla)

“All right, let's take a break for a bit.” I said, as I walked over to a nearby sand dune before sitting down.

I quickly looked over at Amelia who was inspecting the newly changed bandages we had put on Eve, and I felt a somber smile cross my face.

We had been walking through the borderlands for a few days and still weren’t sure what we were going to do yet. We had debated on trying to make it back into the Church’s territory, but we don’t know who we can trust anymore.

There’s also the possibility Shezmu is still out there and, even if he isn’t, I’m sure the Satanists will be looking for us. But we also can’t stay out here forever.

The borderlands are extremely dangerous. Ever changing weather, dangerous monsters of all sorts, bandits, and that’s not to mention the fact it’ll be the season of snowfall soon.

‘Oh Kalan, what am I supposed to do?’ Burying my knees and head into my chest. ‘Why can’t you be here? We should have been in the capital together, all of us, enjoying a meal, smiling together and laughing like we used to.’

My mind kept flashing back to when I was running, carrying both of the unconscious girls in my shadows, when suddenly a massive light went off that almost ripped apart my shadows. I couldn’t imagine telling them what I saw.

‘Kalan are you really dead? No you can’t be, we all still need you. I’m failing again at taking care of the people you entrusted me with, the only reason Eve is still alive is due to the mysterious helper that's been dropping off things for us along our walk.’

Mayla and I had tried to get whoever was dropping the supplies to come out, or even hopefully detect him. But no matter how much we called out or searched it always came up empty.

‘We don’t even know if Eve will ever wake up, what would you think of me if you saw me like this now? How am I supposed to tell them why you did what you did? This should have been your story to tell, I can’t do all of this. I had no idea your absence would be so heavy. For the first time since the day you found me, I feel like the weak little girl I was back then.'

The day you found me about to die of starvation in the Everdark Forest, the skyless forest…

~~~~~~

The wheels of the carriage finally came to a rumbling halt after a full week of travel from our home in an outskirts capital town.

My parents wordlessly got out and started collecting our things. I intended to help but my breath was taken by the majesty of the world around us.

Trees wider than a room stretched for the sky, the oversized leaves bouncing in the sweet wind and blocking out the sun. The skittering of rodents hushed when we arrived leaving only the cacophony of countless birds to accompany us.

By the time I was satisfied with my cursory exploration of the forest, my parents had long since finished unpacking and were discussing something in hushed tones with the driver.

A hand being placed on my shoulder made me jump and I turned to find my father.

"Our camp is this way," he had said with a tense smile.

I nodded wordlessly as I always did.

After a confusing walk of twists and turns deeper into the forest, we found a clearing big enough for a dozen or so tents. The trees all around were like a castle wall, protecting us from whatever dangers may be hiding in the unnatural dark of the forest.

I had a small meal of stewed rabbit and dry bread before we settled in for the quickly approaching night. My parents said they weren't hungry and I wasn't one to comment on anything.

While you couldn't see the sky, the change in the atmosphere in the forest was palpable. It was as if the shadows themselves became a solid force that blanketed everything around us. I couldn't help but stare into the darkness and worry about what was most definitely staring back at me.

I had been silently watching my father maintain the fire when a heavy sleepiness sprung up out of nowhere. I hadn't slept much on the ride over, but I guess I hadn't realized just how tired I had been.

My mother must have noticed because she had gone to my father and motioned towards me. I made out him sighing heavily in my darkening vision. I slightly panicked at not making it to bed on my own, but there was nothing I could do about it. Hopefully they wouldn't complain too much in the morning.

A rustle of leaves startled me awake. It took me a moment to remember where we had been and it took me even longer to realize something was wrong. I wasn't in a tent nor a bed, I was sprawled out on the grassy floor and even worse; I was alone.

Fear overtook me, like a wave of pure ice crashing against my face. I shook violently and uncontrollably, barely able to take a breath. I wanted to cry out for my parents, but they'd just complain. They were probably on the other side of this tree, right?

It made no sense that I was alone now. Unless… did we get attacked in the night? Maybe I fell off a slavers wagon or my father had hidden me here. Yes, that makes sense. If I screamed I would reveal my hiding place. They will come back for me when it's safe again. I have to be a good girl and wait.

So I did.

A day passed and nothing happened. I remained in the shadows of the elder tree and held my knotting stomach in pain. We had barely eaten on the trip over and I had just that light dinner the night before. I hoped they would hurry.

On the second day the cramps began and my throat hurt every time I swallowed. Unable to do anything besides lay there I fell back into my old bad habits. I tore at my nails and lips, which had quickly turned dry and bloody from my lack of water. I didn't know how long one could go without drinking, but from the ever growing need for it, I knew it couldn't be much longer.

The third day I knew I had to move. My head was pounding like someone was jumping up and down on it. My thirst was now an emotion that consumed all thought. I decided that I would rather be found and killed than to endure this agony any longer, so with shaky steps I walked from tree to tree in a random direction. I knew I should remember the path I took so I could return, but walking took all of my focus.

Hours passed as I bathed in the shadows all around me, taking step after increasingly painful step. I thought nothing of the danger anymore, I was nothing but my thirst and the shadows.

On what must have been the fourth day I collapsed. My eyes could barely open, my mouth was like paper and, of course, the shadows continued to weigh me down. My head felt like it was being torn apart. For the first time in years I cried. Horrible sounds came out of my ragged and dry throat as I couldn't even produce tears anymore. Yet I cried and cried until darkness swept my awareness away.

I dreamt of darkness and shadow. A sea of pitch black morphed and crested at my feet. It was… beautiful. I wanted to be like those waves, to come and go and leave no sign I had been there. To be one with darkness, to let me ebb and flow like the formless waves.

I took a step forward. The crested waves came up to my ankles. The beauty of the blackness consumed me. I took another step. And then another. The formless sea of shadow reached my waist, my chest then my neck. I let the shadows flow into me, into the very core of me. With an empty smile, I took another step and was submerged.

My eyes shot open to find a black haired man looking at me from the edge of the clearing. His eyes traveled down my shivering body and he scowled. As he started to approach, fear flared in my chest. He must have noticed because he stopped and put his hands out in a placating manner.

"It's alright, I'm the third paladin. I was hunting a beast in the area and sensed something. Let me help you." He tried to smile but it was so forced and awkward that I started to laugh. I stopped instantly from the pain but my fear was gone. Before I realized it, he was in front of me and bending down to scoop me up.

With his arrival and now the warmth of his arms, I hadn't even noticed that the weight of the shadows all around me had vanished.

~~~~~~

I allowed the emotions from my memories to fill me for a moment, to attempt to fill this emptiness inside me. It didn’t even leave a dent.

‘I can do this, I have to.’ You gave your life for this, for us. I won’t let your sacrifice be in vain Kalan, I’ll protect them, I’ll make sure they grow up to be strong, and, then cold determination settled over me, I shall follow your final order to completion.

‘I can't say goodbye to you just yet, after all I’ll still need your guidance even if it’s all just in my head.’ My eyes burned and I could feel tears threatening to escape. I took a shuddering breath and wiped at my face mindlessly. 'I hope you’re finally reunited with them again.’

Knowing it was time to push away my own inner pain, I quickly stood up and walked over towards Mayla, who was now holding Eve’s hand as she whispered a silent prayer. Her conflicting expression reminded me of a younger Kalan. She was treating Eve like a fragile doll, like one careless movement could cause her to shatter, while also carrying the burden for her condition on her shoulders.

I knew I should comfort her, tell her it's not her fault or responsibility, but I understood. I too blamed myself for everything. I was a fool and weak. How had Kalan still been so kind to me after what he had been through? How had he opened his heart up again after such pain? I can't imagine these emotions ever going away. I paused and considered my current state and wanted to laugh, maybe she wasn't the only one that's close to shattering.

“Come on Mayla, we need to keep moving.”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll carry her.”

I frowned at her. She's carried her this entire time, never letting me take over. Part of me wanted to force her to take a break but I couldn't bring myself to separate them.

“If you get tired just let me know, and we can switch.” I conceded.

Mayla nodded, and then quickly turned to look at Eve, before letting out a loud and sudden gasp.

“Ryla, she’s awake!”

Shocked, I looked over, but as soon as I looked into her eyes. I felt my heart break again.

Those beautiful eyes, one gold, and the other violet which had always seemed to glow with life and determination, now looked lifeless.

‘She knows, doesn’t she?’

(Eve)

I felt my head pounding, as I slowly began to open my eyes. Everything around me was blurry, and I could hear voices next to me, but they just sounded like muffled whispers.

As I began to gain some feeling back, I felt like I could hear my body screaming out in agony. But I couldn’t remember why. I felt sand brush across my fingertips, but why was I here?

I tried to clear the cobwebs in my mind, as my vision slowly came back.

Then as my vision returned, I saw a single piece of ash, dancing in the gentle dry breeze, above my eyes and everything suddenly came rushing back. The mission, the escape, the fight, and Kalan’s arrival. Each dance of the speck brought with it more flashes of the past few days. Then without thinking, my mana swirled around me once, melding into the air and pulling it along, and the ash drifted away. I stared up at the empty spot in the air where it had been and for some reason wished for it to come back.

My mind caught on and constantly replayed one scene from those many moments, Kalan mouthing those words to me, the words I had forgotten could carry so much meaning.

‘I love you, Eve.’

I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to do anything. But for the first time in my life, I felt truly numb, my emotions crushed under the colossal weight pressing into my chest, and could only think of one thing to say.

‘I'm sorry, Kalan...’