- It always begins with a story (told by a grumpy old lady)

Distinctive chatter among the crudely shaped tents near the edges of the camp that took minutes to set up - encased by a mud dome that is the work of the little mages accompanying a retrieval party. At the front centre of the camp, we placed the bonfire.

Well… I insisted on putting it there to help the night-watchers from not freezing to death.

Not to mention the fact that I overdid it saving so many people and got the confidence vote of our entire group electing me to lead through example. As much as it irks me this outcome still benefits me greatly - all there is to do is bite down on my tongue… they won't wake up to a new day anyway.

Sat down among the watchers, most of them have removed their armour sitting in nothing but their woven vests. It is easy to forget the cold of the night sitting this close to a fire that will never stop burning, if it weren't for the [Regenerating] enchantment we'd have to make rounds finding branches to keep the fire burning.

Just above the fire, a timer, ticking off slowly. If nothing interrupts it… the wood will be able to burn brightly for eighty-four more hours.

Alternatively, I could have used something else…

"What's the deal of having the night-watchers if we are going to have to fight during the day?" my thoughts are interrupted by a man sitting just right of me.

With a glare he crosses his arms, the tips of his boots tapping against the dirt, "Cyrtemis is sleeping all soundly while we have to sit here for no reason."

Another watcher scolds him, his tone rough and raspy, "Grand Magus. Do well to not forget that we are in the presence of his Majesty's trusted friend. If it weren't for our involvement we wouldn't have saved as many people - I can sit here with a smile on my face knowing that we did-"

Interrupting him, "We saved a lot of people, I get it, but let me just sleep," with a loud groan, he pats his legs lifting himself to his feet.

A group of five join the rest of us. Then more and more people gradually fill the seats around the bonfire - some were soldiers, others were the night-watchers on duty to protect the people in this camp, then among them, all sits a woman with a child.

Their idle conversations drift through the air, it doesn't amuse me nor interest me.

I simply watch the fire burn brightly, I don't even notice its heat… the icy air just outside of the muddy igloo is still fresh in my head - I glance over my shoulder with a curled lip cursing the fact that I chose to sit down here to be closer to the entrance.

I can't even enjoy the warmth! I whimper to myself.

Returning my gaze back to my front - in my peripheral I notice tiny eyes staring at me. A little boy sitting on his mother's lap. I hold my stare through the corner of my eye, shifting my empty expression to a wicked grimace only to be countered by a sweet smile.

Silly kid.

I take a deep breath, pulling the hood of my cloak over my head - obstructing my vision of the child completely and adding about 10% cold insulation to my stats. Useless really, but the numbers do add up.

As long as that cold breeze isn't tickling the back of my neck anymore.

"Uh… miss?"

I lift my gaze to the man addressing someone - I glance up at the guy who is standing just over me with a silly expression; he doesn't look older than twenty. His brown eyes lock with my own, messy hair with a dirt smear on his shaved face. I groan internally as I offer the sweetest smile I could muster.

"You can call me Sarah," a throwaway name.

"You have an endearing smile, Sarah. My name is Rudiger," he remarks, then sitting down next to me, "It was rather surprising to see a mage of your calibre - even the Grand Magus was surprised to see an unregistered individual such as yourself with that much power at her disposal."

I lift my shoulders, "Do you mean to say that it is unheard of?"

"On the contrary, we need far more mages among the King's army."

"Not my scene," I respond in an instant, "I am searching for someone and it would directly clash with my own goals."

"What is your goal?" he asks with unwaning interest… in either me or my story.

I shake my head, not for lack of an answer but rather wouldn't want to inform anyone that my goals directly conflict with his Majesty's best interests. As of now? The Grand Magus is not going to wake up from his dreams tonight, all of you here are just unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire.

My vow of silence discourages any further approach from this kid next to me.

The night drags on slowly, but the only consistent thing was the cold and the little boy who hasn't given up on trying to read my mind with those observant eyes of his - this is not how you seduce pretty things, but I suppose he is doing a far better job displaying his tenacity in contrast to Rudiger who didn't bother after his initial attempt.

I haven't noticed until now but the eldest of the watchers has stood up roaming around us to tell a grand tale.

"… they of love and a bright future. The Sun and Mood were inseparable-"

I scoff instinctively, he looks at me with an arched brow, "Someone dislikes your stories."

I defend myself, "No forgive me, a grand tale of love, jealousy, and the creation of the stars. What isn't there to admire?"

He crosses his arms, arching his brow, "A tale as old as time."

"And awfully drab. It is nothing but a tale oversold by those that think they know better."

"I assume you have a far better tale to tell?" another watcher chimes in.

Shit. I should muzzle myself in the future to stop putting myself in situations where my pride wouldn't allow me to just tuck my head between my shoulders.

I am a slave to my own tongue, funny how that works.

With a smirk I begin, "Of course I do - I'd boast of a tale so grand, one promising love and companionship, but in reality, it is nothing but the dire truth. Your tale of the sun and moon is nothing but fantasy."

"But I suppose it isn't wrong - The Sun. Bright, Joyful, Childish. Brash in all of her actions yet she was understanding and a compassionate lover. The Moon. Mature, Reclusive, Wise. Yet he was endearing in the smallest of ways."

"This rings true for most stories, correct?"

The old watcher nods, "It does, I guess?" though he is still watching me with piqued interest.

The corner of my mouth arches upward, "The Sun and the Moon never felt love for each other in this story - there was a woman born amongst mortals. She was born with a promise of power and power she received, so much so that her nature was twisted beyond what she could ever be."

"It dawned upon her that something didn't belong - revered as a god she knew that her existence was nothing but a smear. That she would never be able to live, never be able to thrive. She sought to the sky for answers hoping that something would answer her pleas for salvation. A wish for solace."

"The two celestial bodies answered, and she was enamoured."

"She grew in love with the Sun's compassion and the Moon's presence. But it was too much, for the sun was massive and overabundant in her own ways that it felt like she was being smothered - the moon felt pale in comparison but didn't make her feel overwhelmed but she never felt loved. She felt isolated and alone."

"Frustrated, she went to seek for guidance to set her soul to ease. Approached by something from a world beyond her understanding offering a gift - a gift she couldn't refuse even if it was too good to be true. After all, she possessed the power of a god and a mere trinket would never be able to harm her in any way."

"The trinket - would make her numb to her feelings, numb to all her worries so that she would be able to thrive. To not have to worry but it did the opposite. It tore open her mind and chest, making it impossible to go about her life without overthinking."

"It was agonizing, she pleaded for release only for the creature to state that this was the only way - that she is a slave of her own mind and that the pain was necessary till it finally tore her open and left nothing behind."

Then dropping my gaze to the ground, focusing on a pebble just next to the bonfire, "She returned to the sun and the moon, with a thought of finally being at ease. She grew distant from the Sun, the Moon's presence felt colder and colder."

"Amidst her own worries disappearing, she grew angry with the thought that with her suffering so disappeared everything she loved - angry and betrayed she walked up to the Sun out of her anger… for a brief moment however she saw that compassion she grew in love with only for a moment before the life drained out from the Sun's eyes."

"The sun went hollow and blacked out the sky in her death - the moon faded away knowing that his time would come soon, unleashing a deathly cold that would kill anything caught in his darkness. So that he would never be found."

I then clear my throat, "A tale told from the Church of the Black Sun," yet when I recall what really happened it isn't exactly far off from what really happened.

The old watcher then snorts, "I can see why this tale isn't popular, no one fancies a tale that ends in misery."

"True enough," I nod with a chuckle.

"And do you mean to say that this tale is true?"

I lift my shoulders, locking eyes with another watcher, "In the end - it is just a story. We all would like to blame our collapse on something and this just makes it all the easier, no?" I giggle.

"On the contrary - I do believe we need such stories," the old watcher scratches his jaw through his thick beard, "I may not enjoy it as much but it helps to keep your dreams grounded."

The chatter dies out hours into the night, and the kid with his mother finally disappeared. It felt almost like I was waiting specifically for them to disappear so I could do what I needed.

"[Drown]," a dark mist travels from my palms, floating towards the ground it splits itself into tiny particles that seek every human in close proximity.

I lift myself in silence, unsurprisingly there are a few watchers that didn't pass out from exhaustion and my spell - but they pay little attention to me as I head outside of the muddy igloo.

I stare out at the open skies above.

A sudden crack and the sound of stones rolling over the ground make me spin around with a clenched fist - I instantly drop my guard as I notice the kid that has been staring at me is standing at the entrance slivering. I narrow my eyes at him as I state, "You will die if you don't go back inside."

His skin is already pale, quickly turning blue, "I…"

I shake my head as I watch the kid freeze to death, I lock eyes for a moment with him. I drop down to my knees pressing my hand against his chest and whispering, "[Dragon's Heart]," he collapses into me, I do little effort to hold him as he is leaning against me on his feet.

His body instantly feels warmer than the fire, shit… human frailty really is something else. I watch for a moment longer as the colour in his skin returns but his tiny little heart hasn't stopped beating. I scoff at myself as I ask into the empty air, "That didn't kill you? [Seer]."

I cast another spell displaying a translucent window pane just above his head, I reach for it at the edges and pull it towards me. Reading all of the stats carefully - there is nothing peculiar about this kid, nothing special. That was until my quick thinking saved his life and added a new permanent status effect.

"Ah. How fortunate can one person be?"

I had already planned to walk back inside and snuff out the fire, it would then take seconds for them all to die freeze to death the moment all of the heat disappears from inside their little igloo. The question is… why would this kid be able to survive with [Dragon's Heart]? But I already answered that question.

I then lift myself and carry the kid back inside, my area sleep spell has already hit everyone within it. It would be so easy to kill them along with the Grand Magus…

I set him down near one of the tents and walk for the exit. I glare at the bonfire for a moment before walking past it and sparing all of the humans inside. I didn't help save all those people along with that kid just to kill them later, then I would really be a monster.