chapter 12: the forgotten

The morning light crept into my room, spilling through the cracks in the shutters and washing the walls in a faint golden glow. I stirred slowly, the weight of the previous night's conversation with Veylara lingering in my chest like a stone. My mind was a mess of questions, doubts, and faint flickers of determination I didn't fully understand yet. But today wasn't the day to dwell on it. Not entirely. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The cool wooden floor against my feet helped ground me. With a sigh, I stood and made my way to the corner where my armor hung neatly, glinting faintly in the morning light. Piece by piece, I dressed, fastening the leather straps and adjusting the fit as I tried to push my thoughts into some semblance of order.

Just as I finished buckling the last strap, there was a knock at the door. My brow furrowed slightly, and I hesitated for a moment before crossing the room. The hinges creaked faintly as I opened it, and my heart stopped for half a beat. Elaris stood in the doorway, her golden hair catching the light like a halo. She was dressed in her usual robes, but the soft lavender glow in her eyes seemed… different. There was a warmth there that made my stomach twist in a way I couldn't quite explain.

"Good morning, Noctis," she said softly, her voice carrying a strange mix of nervousness and resolve. "Morning, Elaris," I replied, blinking as I stepped aside to let her in. "What's up?"

She stepped into the room, the faint scent of flowers following her as she moved closer. For a moment, she didn't say anything. Instead, she just stood there, looking at me like she was trying to memorize every detail of my face. Then, without warning, she closed the gap between us and kissed me. It wasn't tentative or shy like I would have expected. It was confident, filled with an emotion that left me stunned. Her hands lightly cupped my face as her lips pressed against mine, and for a moment, the world fell away. I didn't know what to do—my brain barely processed what was happening before I found myself kissing her back, my hands instinctively resting on her waist. When she finally pulled away, her cheeks were flushed, but her lavender eyes were steady as they met mine. "I couldn't wait anymore," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I needed to do that."

I blinked, my mind scrambling to catch up. "Elaris, I—what was—"

Before I could even form a coherent sentence, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. The faint clinking of metal was unmistakable, and a second later, Kaivya's voice rang out. "Well, well," she drawled, her tone laced with amusement. "Looks like I interrupted something interesting." Elaris turned, her cheeks darkening further as Kaivya leaned casually against the doorframe, her golden eyes alight with mischief. "Don't stop on my account," Kaivya added with a smirk. "I'm enjoying the show."

"Kaivya," Elaris said, her voice firm but not unkind. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Kaivya replied, still grinning. "I'll just be on my way. Don't let me keep you from… whatever that was." With a wink, she sauntered off, her tail swaying behind her as she disappeared down the hall. Elaris sighed, shaking her head before turning back to me. Her expression softened, and she reached for my hand, her fingers lacing with mine. "I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now, Noctis," she said, her tone quieter now. "But I didn't know how. Or if I even should."

My heart was still racing, and I forced myself to focus on her words. "Tell me what?" She looked down at our joined hands for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "I care about you," she said simply, but the weight in her voice made it clear she meant far more than that. "More than I thought I would. And it's not something I can keep to myself anymore."

The vulnerability in her expression hit me like a tidal wave, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. "Elaris," I began, my voice shaky, "I… I care about you too. A lot. But are you sure about this? I mean, with everything going on—"

"I'm sure," she interrupted, her grip on my hand tightening slightly. "Life is unpredictable, Noctis. If we wait for the perfect moment, it'll never come. So… I guess what I'm asking is… do you want this? Do you want us?" Her words hung in the air, and I could see the faintest flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, like she was bracing for rejection. But there was no hesitation in my heart.

"Yes," I said, my voice steadier this time. "I want this. I want us." Her smile was radiant, the kind that made me feel like the world wasn't so heavy after all. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against mine. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No," I replied, my lips curving into a soft smile of my own. "Thank you." For the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt right. No matter what challenges lay ahead, I knew we'd face them together.

Elaris' warmth against me made it hard to think about anything else. The weight of her forehead resting against mine and the sincerity in her lavender eyes felt like the world narrowing into one perfect moment of clarity. I could feel her breath, soft and steady, and for the first time in what felt like years, the chaos in my mind stilled. "We should probably… you know, go," I said awkwardly after a moment, my voice breaking the silence. "Kaivya and Alaria are probably already making trouble." Elaris chuckled softly, the sound like a soothing melody. "Let them," she replied, her hand lingering on mine as she stepped back. "They'll survive without us for a few more minutes." She let her hand slide away slowly, as if reluctant to let go. I watched her move toward the door, the golden strands of her hair catching the morning light in a way that seemed almost unreal. She paused just before reaching for the handle, glancing back at me.

"I know this is… new," she said, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. "And I don't want to overwhelm you, Noctis. But… I'm glad you're here. With me." I nodded, trying to find the words to respond. "I'm glad, too. You mean a lot to me, Elaris. More than I think I've ever let on." Her smile widened, and she opened the door, letting the bright morning light flood the room. "Come on, we should probably make sure Kaivya hasn't burned anything down yet." I laughed softly, grabbing my blade and strapping it to my side before following her out the door.

The morning sun bathed Greystone in a soft golden hue, streaming through the small windows of the inn as Elaris and I descended the creaking stairs to the main hall. The inn was modest but warm, its wooden beams darkened with age, and the faint aroma of fresh bread wafted in from the small kitchen near the back. The common room was a hub of quiet activity, the subdued conversations of travelers and villagers mixing with the occasional clatter of plates. A fire still crackled in the hearth, though it burned low, more for comfort than necessity. Greystone had an air of unease that even the bright morning light couldn't dispel. It wasn't just the livestock deaths—it was the sense that something out there, just beyond the edge of the woods, was waiting.

Kaivya was already seated at a long table near the center of the room, a steaming mug in her hands as her golden, reptilian eyes scanned the room. She smirked when she saw us, her tail twitching lazily. "About time you two dragged yourselves out of whatever cozy moment you were having upstairs."

"Good morning to you too, Kaivya," Elaris replied evenly, though her cheeks flushed faintly. "It's called getting enough sleep, something you might try one of these days." Kaivya snorted, raising her mug in mock toast. "I'll sleep when the excitement's over. Speaking of which—any brilliant ideas for tackling whatever's been tearing this village apart?"

"We need more information first," I said, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside her. Elaris took the seat next to me, her calm presence steadying me as always. "We'll ask around again today. Someone here knows something they haven't told us yet."

"And what if no one talks?" Kaivya asked, raising an eyebrow. "You think a few polite questions are going to solve this mystery?"

"We don't need everyone to talk," Elaris said, her voice soft but firm. "Just the right person." Across the room, Daren leaned casually against the bar, a cup of tea in one hand as his sharp gray eyes swept over the inn. He always had a way of making it seem like he wasn't paying attention when, in reality, he was watching everything. He caught sight of us and sauntered over, his heavy boots thudding softly against the wooden floor.

"Anything new from the locals?" he asked, taking the seat across from me. "Not yet," I replied. "We were just talking about asking around again."

Daren nodded thoughtfully, setting his cup down. "Good idea. Someone here knows more than they're letting on. Villages like this? They always have a few folks who see more than they admit."

"Or they're too scared to admit it," Elaris added, her lavender eyes flicking toward the door. "Fear does strange things to people." Kaivya leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed. "Well, if no one talks, maybe we should head to the woods ourselves. Find these 'figures' everyone's so scared of." Alaria chose that moment to appear, her emerald eyes glinting as she stepped into the room with a stretch and a yawn. "Figures, huh?" she said, sliding into a seat next to Daren. "Sounds like something worth investigating."

"Good morning to you too," Daren said with a wry smile. Alaria shrugged, brushing a strand of crimson hair from her face. "Morning. Anyway, what's the plan? More talking, or are we actually going to do something useful?"

"We're not rushing into the woods blindly," Elaris said firmly, shooting Alaria a pointed look. "We don't know what's out there, and we're not risking lives unnecessarily." Kaivya rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Fine. Let's play it your way for now. But if this drags on too long, I'm taking matters into my own hands." I glanced at Elaris, who gave me a small nod, her expression calm but serious. "We'll start by talking to the innkeeper," I said. "He's been here longer than anyone else. If anyone knows what's going on, it's him."

The group murmured in agreement, and we rose from the table. The air in the room felt heavier as we approached the bar, where the innkeeper—a stout man with graying hair and a weary expression—was polishing mugs. "Excuse me," Elaris said, her voice soft but commanding enough to draw his attention. "We were hoping you could tell us more about what's been happening here. Anything at all could help." The innkeeper glanced at her, then at the rest of us, his brow furrowing. "You mean the livestock?" he asked gruffly. "Or the shadows in the woods?"

"Both," Daren said, leaning forward slightly. "Anything you can tell us." The man hesitated, his hand tightening on the mug he held. "It's not just livestock," he admitted after a moment. "Couple of villagers have gone missing too. Last one was over a month ago. Went into the woods to look for a stray cow… never came back." Elaris' expression softened, and she placed a reassuring hand on the counter. "We'll do everything we can to figure this out," she said gently. "Thank you for trusting us."

The innkeeper grunted, nodding slightly before turning away to busy himself with the mugs again. As we stepped back from the bar, the weight of his words settled over the group. Missing villagers. Shadows in the woods. Whatever we were dealing with, it was bigger than we'd thought. "All right," I said, my voice firm. "Let's split up and see what else we can find out. Meet back here by midday, and then we'll figure out our next move." The others nodded, and we set off, the unease in the air growing heavier with every passing moment.

The woods stretched out before us like a sea of shadows, the gnarled trees twisting upward into the gray morning sky. The cool dampness of the forest floor clung to my boots as I walked alongside Daren, the quiet only occasionally broken by the distant rustle of leaves or the chirp of a lone bird. The air smelled of earth and decay, rich and heavy, but not in an unpleasant way—it was just… alive. Daren, ever the picture of calm and calculated ease, strode a few paces ahead, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His gray eyes scanned the trees with an almost methodical precision, his shoulders relaxed but ready. Meanwhile, I was more focused on keeping my thoughts in order, which was easier said than done with everything swirling in my mind. "So," Daren said after a while, his voice breaking the heavy silence. He didn't look back, but I could hear the curiosity in his tone. "You and Elaris, huh?" I nearly stumbled over a root, my heart jumping into my throat. "What?" I managed, my voice cracking slightly. He smirked, finally glancing back at me. "Oh, come on, Noctis. You two aren't exactly subtle. The way she's always looking out for you, how you're always at her side. It's not hard to connect the dots." I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I kept my gaze fixed on the uneven trail. "It's not like that," I muttered, though even I didn't sound convincing.

Daren stopped walking, turning to face me with an arched brow. "Oh? So if I asked her about it, what would she say? Because my guess is she'd have a lot more to say than you're letting on." I groaned, waving a hand as if to dismiss the topic. "Okay, fine. It's… something. I don't even know what to call it. She's important to me—really important—but I don't want to mess anything up." His smirk softened into something more genuine, though the teasing edge in his voice remained. "Noctis, you're seventeen, not seven. You're allowed to have feelings. And judging by the way she looks at you, I'd say those feelings are mutual."

"Thanks, Daren," I said dryly, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "Really helpful."

"Hey, I'm just saying what everyone else is too polite to point out," he replied with a shrug, resuming his steady pace. "You two have something good. Don't let your overthinking ruin it." I didn't respond, the weight of his words settling heavily on my shoulders. He wasn't wrong, but that didn't make it any easier to sort through the mess of emotions swirling in my chest. Still, there was something comforting about his bluntness, even if it did make me want to throttle him sometimes. The silence returned as we continued deeper into the woods, the trees growing denser and the light filtering through their branches dimming. The air grew colder, and a faint, almost imperceptible hum seemed to settle over the area. "You feel that?" Daren asked, his voice quieter now. "Yeah," I replied, tightening my grip on the hilt of my blade. "Something's off." We pressed on cautiously, our footsteps quieter now as we scanned the trees for any signs of movement. And then, through the thick underbrush, I saw it—a structure, weathered and crumbling, hidden beneath a canopy of moss and vines. It was so well-concealed that I might have missed it if not for the faint glint of sunlight reflecting off the stone.

"What the hell is that?" Daren muttered, his eyes narrowing as he approached the building. "I don't know," I said, stepping closer. "But it looks old. Really old."

The building was small, almost shrine-like, with intricate carvings covering its stone walls. Most of the details were obscured by moss and dirt, but what little I could make out sent a shiver down my spine. The patterns weren't like anything I'd seen before—swirling, almost organic shapes that seemed to shift when I looked at them too long. Daren ran a hand over the carvings, his brow furrowed. "This doesn't match any of the ruins I've studied before," he said quietly. "It's… different." I nodded, stepping through the cracked stone archway that served as an entrance. The air inside was colder, almost frigid, and the faint smell of decay lingered. The walls were covered in more of those strange carvings, their faintly glowing lines casting eerie patterns on the floor. "What is this place?" I whispered, more to myself than to Daren. Before he could answer, a familiar voice echoed in my mind, smooth and melodic. "It is a memory, Noctis. A fragment of what once was—and what could be again."

I stiffened, my hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of my blade. "Veylara," I murmured under my breath, careful to keep my voice low. "What is this place?"

"It is tied to your destiny," she said, her tone both soothing and chilling. "A place where shadows and light once danced in harmony. But now, it is a tomb, forgotten and forsaken. You feel it, don't you? The whispers of what lies beneath."

"Noctis?" Daren's voice snapped me out of the trance. He was watching me carefully, his gray eyes sharp with concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied, shaking my head as if to clear it. "Just… trying to figure this place out." He didn't look convinced, but he let it go, stepping further into the shrine. I followed reluctantly, my chest tight as Veylara's words echoed in my mind. Whatever this place was, it wasn't just a ruin. It was connected to something far bigger, something I wasn't sure I was ready to face. And yet, deep down, I knew I couldn't turn away. Not now. Not ever.

The air inside the shrine seemed to press against my chest, thick with an unexplainable weight. Every step echoed faintly, the sound swallowed quickly by the oppressive silence. The carvings on the walls flickered in my peripheral vision, their faint glow almost hypnotic, as though they were alive—watching us.

Daren moved ahead, his steps cautious, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He scanned the dim interior, his sharp gray eyes narrowing as he took in the eerie details of the ancient structure. "There's something… wrong about this place," he muttered under his breath, his voice almost drowned by the heavy atmosphere. "I can feel it. It's like the air itself is trying to push us out." I nodded silently, my fingers tightening around the hilt of my blade. He was right. Every instinct I had screamed at me to turn around and leave, but something deeper tugged me forward. My heart pounded in my chest as the faint, familiar voice of Veylara slithered into my thoughts, soft and teasing. "Do you feel it, Noctis?" she purred, her tone laced with a mix of amusement and intrigue. "The power that lingers here… it calls to you, doesn't it?"

"What is this place?" I whispered, careful not to catch Daren's attention. My voice barely carried, but I knew she could hear me. "A relic of a forgotten age," she replied, her voice low and haunting. "A place where power once thrived, only to be sealed away in the cold embrace of time. It knows you, Noctis. It feels the light you carry. That is why it stirs." I swallowed hard, my gaze flickering to the strange carvings that seemed to shift and pulse faintly in the dim light. "Why does it feel… alive?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "Because it remembers," Veylara said, her tone softening into something almost sorrowful. "And it waits. But the answers you seek lie beyond this place. For now, take this as a sign—a reminder that your path is not one of chance but of purpose."

"Noctis," Daren called from a few paces ahead, his voice cutting through the haze of my thoughts. "You're lagging behind. Everything okay?" I blinked, shaking off the weight of Veylara's words as I hurried to catch up. "Yeah," I said, forcing my voice to sound steady. "Just… taking it all in. This place is unsettling." He nodded, his expression grim. "You're not wrong. There's something… ancient here. Powerful. Whatever this place was, it wasn't built for anything good." The faint hum of energy grew stronger as we moved deeper into the shrine, the temperature dropping with every step. My light magic flickered weakly in my palm, struggling against the oppressive darkness. It wasn't just a lack of light—it was as though the shadows themselves were alive, pressing against the edges of my magic, trying to snuff it out. "We shouldn't be here," Daren said suddenly, stopping in his tracks. He turned to face me, his eyes sharp with unease. "I don't know what this place is, but we're not ready for it. Whatever's here… it's beyond us."

8 hesitated, glancing back at the carvings on the walls. The faint glow pulsed like a heartbeat, almost in sync with the pounding in my chest. Veylara's voice returned, a soft whisper in my mind. "Wise words from your companion," she said, her tone laced with faint amusement. "You are not yet strong enough to claim what lies here. But soon, Noctis. Soon, you will be ready." I swallowed hard, nodding to myself as I turned to Daren. "You're right," I said, my voice steadier now. "We should head back. This place… it's not something we're ready to deal with."

Daren gave me a long, searching look before nodding. "Good. Let's go." We retraced our steps, the oppressive energy of the shrine seeming to follow us as we moved toward the exit. The air grew lighter as we stepped back into the forest, but the weight on my chest didn't fully lift. The shadow of the shrine lingered in my mind, its strange carvings and faint glow etched into my memory. As we made our way back toward the village, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Daren walked ahead in silence, his posture tense as if he expected something to leap out from the trees at any moment. I followed, my thoughts racing as Veylara's words echoed in my mind.

"This is only the beginning, Noctis," she whispered, her voice a faint hum against the back of my mind. "You've taken the first step. Soon, the path will reveal itself to you. And when it does, you will understand your purpose." I clenched my fists, my heart pounding as I pushed her voice aside. Whatever lay ahead, I couldn't let it consume me. Not yet. Not while so much was still uncertain. But deep down, I knew she was right—this was only the beginning. And the path before me was one I couldn't avoid forever.