Scarred - (Eighty Days)
Eryn felt the ache in his muscles, the dull throb in his head. It was a familiar pain, one he had grown used to.
Liora was beside him, silent. She hadn't spoken much this morning. They had shared the quiet like an old habit, each lost in their own thoughts. The fire, burned to embers, a faint warmth in the chilled room.
"We should eat," Liora said.
Eryn shook his head. "Not hungry."
She nodded.
"We've been at this for weeks now," she said, her voice soft. "You've come a long way."
Eryn glanced at her and gazed at his hands. They were stable, warm, his face was more rounded, but lean.
"Feels like I'm still in the same place."
Liora cast her gaze up and down Eryn. "You've grown stronger."
"Stronger, maybe. But not different."
"Different isn't always better." She replied.
Eryn turned back to the window. The sky was heavy, painted with dull greys, it pressed down on him.
"You ever feel like you're waiting for something? Something you can't name?"
Liora opened her mouth, but hesitated.
"Yes" her voice soft.
Her eyes flickered towards Eryn.
They fell silent. The wind holding its breath. Eryn could hear the faint crackle of the dying fire, the creak of the old wood beneath their feet. Everything felt fragile, like it could break with the slightest push.
Liora approached him, her boots echoed off the wooden floor.
"There's something you need to know."
Eryn turned to her, his gaze steady.
"What is it?"
Liora hesitated, the words caught in her throat.
"What is it we're preparing for?" Eryn asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Eryn felt his stomach twist. "What's all this about?"
"I can't tell you everything. But it's important. More than you know."
He nodded, though the weight of her words settled heavy on his chest.
"And you need me for it?"
"Yes."
Eryn looked away.
"Why me?"
"Because you're the only one who can do it."
They stood there for a long time, Eryn wasn't sure he wanted the answers.
Later, they trained. The exercises were the simple, but there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before. Eryn could feel it in the way Liora watched him, in the way her words came quicker, sharper.
He pushed himself harder, trying to drown out the doubt. His body moved on instinct, the movements familiar now, ingrained in his muscles. But his mind was elsewhere, turning over her words, the thing that waited just beyond the horizon, something only he could accomplish.
When they finally stopped, the sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground. Eryn wiped the sweat from his face, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts.
Liora stood a few paces away, watching him.
"You're holding back," she said.
Eryn shook his head. "I'm giving everything I've got."
"No, you're not." Her eyes were hard, unyielding. "There's more in you. I've seen it."
He looked away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." She stepped closer, her voice low. "You're afraid of what you can do."
Eryn clenched his fists, the tension in his body rising. "I'm not afraid."
"Then prove it."
He met her gaze, the challenge clear in her eyes. Something inside him shifted, the walls he had built up beginning to crack. He didn't want to be afraid anymore. He didn't want to hold back.
Without thinking, he reached out, his hand brushing against hers. The world seemed to tilt for a moment, the air between them charged. Liora didn't pull away. Sparks hid within the currents of the lazy wind.
"Do it," she whispered.
Eryn closed his eyes, focusing on the connection between them. He felt the warmth of her hand, the steady beat of her pulse. Slowly, he let his power flow, the edges of reality blurring as he pushed past the barriers in his mind.
*Touch of The Illusionist: Active.
"Let's call it a day," he whispered.
Liora's breath hitched, her grip tightening on his hand.
"I think that will be fine." She nodded as she held her breath. Her gaze steady on the face of Eryn.
"Are you hungry now?" she asked.
"Not yet," Eryn smirked.
"You've gotten full of yourself." Liora stared.
"No," Eryn replied. "I got trust in you."
"Thank you," Liora blushed. "Then trust me, we need to get you food."
"I cant," Eryn turned. "I have to do something."
"Don't run too far," she plead.
"I'm not running anymore." Eryn froze.
"I know," she smirked.
Eryn walked back to his room, the sky darkened, and the wind whistled passed the window. The fire spat, and for a moment he saw her. The image of Alyssa, she returned. Alyssa stared at Eryn.
"They're using you." Alyssa's voice whispered.
"They're not," Eryn stoked the fire. "I've been here long enough. I trust them."
"I trust her," he continued.
"You never change," the whisper replied. "They're using you."
Eryn hesitated "They're feeding me, clothing me, and helping me understand Veldira. Tell me where I'm using them."
"No," the whisper echoed. "They don't like the power you hold."
"Alyssa..." Eryn whispered. "You need to learn to trust."
The fire spit and the embers floated towards Eryn.
He reached for the ember, burned his palm and stared at the fire.
"We can't be scared in this fight," he told the fire. "Wounds heal and people heal."
"Ghosts don't," the whisper brushed his ears.
"No they don't," Eryn said.
The fire burned low, the voice dying out. The shadow in the room shifted.
He kept his gaze at the fire, clenched his burnt palm and crossed his arms.
"I think it would be a good time to get something to eat now," Eryn told the fire.