Going Back In Time For A While

On the Other Side of the Fallen Bridge...

Farrynelle and Xander emerged from the dark tunnel. The light blinded them momentarily, forcing Xander to shield his eyes with one hand while his other instinctively reached for his weapon.

Apparently, no test came to them. Instead, they just walked for hours and hours on end and miraculously made it to the other side.

As their vision adjusted, what lay before them made them halt.

A vast island stretched ahead, blanketed in fields of peony colors. It was an island of red.

Behind them, soldiers trickled out of the first tunnel, their faces etched with relief, exhaustion and grief. Farrynelle turned, her gaze sweeping over the survivors. She clenched her fists when she saw the numbers.

A few of the commanders approached her and gave her reports. She returned to Xander after giving a few more orders about their next move.

"We lost two thousand," she muttered, her voice tight with anger. "Their tunnel had the most Krepsunas we were planning to ambush in case they went after us."

Xander nodded grimly. "Four thousand made it out. That's something, at least. They're tough. They'll survive."

The soldiers who had survived looked broken. Bloodied armor, hollow eyes, and slow, dragging steps told the story of what they had endured in the Fallen Bridge's first tunnel. But they were alive.

As Farrynelle and Xander turned back to the island, a familiar voice broke through their grim thoughts.

"Hey there, survivors. Looks like you managed to crawl out alive."

Narisva Starisnova strode toward them, her starry hair gleaming in the aurora blue night skies, her cocky smirk in full force despite her disheveled state. She raised a hand in mock salute.

Farrynelle scowled. She did not like Narisva at all.

"Where's Vastarael and Phaenora? Don't tell me they—"

Narisva cut her off with a lazy wave of her hand.

"Relax. They're alive. Apparently, they decided to stay behind and poke around the bridge a little more. Some kind of side quest nonsense."

She rolled her eyes, though there was a faint edge of tension in her tone.

Xander raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed.

"A side quest? That doesn't sound like Vastarael."

"Yeah, well, who knows what goes through that prince's head? He's got the whole 'brooding genius' thing going on. But hey, I'm here, so don't worry. Whatever mess he's gotten into, I'm sure he'll handle it. Now, my side quest changed. Seems I'll be following you guys."

Despite her nonchalant demeanor, Farrynelle hesitated. Her instincts screamed that there was more to Narisva's words, but the exhaustion from the tunnels dulled her resolve to press further. Xander, too, seemed uneasy, but he ultimately nodded.

Walking and running for hours and hours without rest was tiring, both physically and mentally.

"If Vastarael said he'll handle it, we trust him," Xander said finally.

Narisva grinned, leaning casually against a nearby boulder.

"See? That's the spirit. You've got nothing to worry about."

Her confident attitude had the desired effect. The tension in the air dissipated as Farrynelle and Xander shifted their focus to the new challenge ahead: navigating the Island of Peony.

But as they turned to lead the soldiers forward, Narisva's smirk faltered for a brief moment. She glanced back toward the tunnel entrance, her cockiness masking a flicker of concern.

"Stay alive, you stupid bastard," she murmured under her breath, before turning to rejoin the others.

°°°°°°

Vastarael stood at the edge of the Fallen Bridge entrance, his eyes fixed on the dark three tunnels. His thoughts were heavy, the weight of the revelations from Spheraphase still clinging to him like a second skin.

Yet... there was one question left unanswered.

He turned to Phaenora. She stood silently beside him, her sharp eyes glinting with the same teasing edge she had worn when he first saw her face.

"Why did you decide to help me?" Vastarael asked slowly.

Phaenora met his gaze, her lips curling into a sly smile. She placed a hand on her chest, feigning mock hurt.

"Why? Oh, Veneri, you wound me..You think I need a reason to help a handsome prince like you?"

Her teasing tone rang out, but her eyes softened for just a moment. Vastarael waited, sensing there was more behind her words. Phaenora let out a sigh, dropping the teasing act for a brief moment, before finally speaking in a quieter voice.

"I didn't want you to be alone in this. You're... different, Veneri. It's not often that I find someone who can actually see what's behind the curtain. And..."

Her voice faltered for a split second, emotion flickering in her gaze.

"I guess I don't want to lose someone who actually understands me better than anyone else."

She paused, quickly brushing the moment away with a flick of her wrist, her usual playful demeanor returning in full force.

"But hey, you know I can't let you have all the fun. Watching you flounder through things on your own would be a waste."

Vastarael gave her a small, appreciative smile, though the weight of her words lingered in the air between them. He nodded.

"I understand. And I'm grateful."

Before he could say anything more, the hologram system interface flickered in front of them, the familiar hum of the mystical system filling the air. The new quest appeared before them in bold letters:

_____

[New Quest: The Three Trials of the Fallen Bridge.]

[Difficulty: ???]

[Objective: Complete the three tests of the Fallen Bridge set by EPOCH. By doing so, you will learn the truth about the story behind the Fallen Bridge.]

[Rewards:]

[???]

[???]

[???]

_____

Vastarael stared at the unfamiliar quest information, his brow furrowing. He glanced at Phaenora, who mirrored his confusion.

"What is this?"

Phaenora rolled her eyes, a teasing grin playing on her lips.

"Looks like someone else gets to do the hard work now, huh? Guess Narisva was just a warm-up."

Her voice was light, but Vastarael could see the same unease creeping into her expression. The system's rewards were blank, offering no clues as to what awaited them, only the stark uncertainty of the trials ahead.

"We have no idea what these rewards are..." Vastarael murmured, his tone growing serious again. "And we're supposed to trust them?"

Phaenora laughed, but it was a hollow sound, as if she, too, could sense the danger that lay ahead.

"Trust them? Oh, Veneri, don't be such a pessimist. The fun is in the unknown." She paused, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. "Unless you're afraid?"

Vastarael didn't flinch. He had no fear left to give.

"Let's do it. We have no choice now. Let's hope that I don't... huh?"

Phaenora, already bracing herself for whatever might happen next, tilted her head in confusion. She noticed that Vastarael noticed something.

"What?"

Vastarael's expression darkened. His hand instinctively reached for... the Orchestral Vialex.

"Peccavi had this all this time. What is it doing... Oh no."

His voice trailed off, disbelief creeping into his tone as the realization slammed into him with full force.

"Wait a second. Oh no. No no no no..."

Before he could finish his thought, an overwhelming brightness enveloped them. The world around them blurred, stretched, and then fractured into nothingness.

Then, as the light began to fade, Phaenora blinked and suddenly found herself standing in front of what appeared to be massive, towering gates that looked like something from an ancient age.

Behind them, the weathered stone walls of a city loomed. There were walls that were eerily familiar, yet entirely out of place in the context of where they'd been just moments ago.

Phaenora's breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with recognition. She glanced quickly at Vastarael, who stood still beside her. But she could see it too. His eyes had turned to stone, a realization hitting him as hard as it had struck her.

Vastarael exhaled slowly, his voice almost a whisper as he answered the unspoken question hanging between them.

"Veneri..."

"I know. We're in front of the Frozen Ruins. Right before it was destroyed by the Blizzard's Wrath."