The Visit

…

Evryn felt nothing. No pain, no sound, no sight. Just nothing. 

Then—howling.

A sharp wind tore through the void, its icy touch slamming into him like a phantom force. His body shivered violently, the cold cutting through his skin.

"So cold…" he muttered, rubbing his arms, his breath coming out in shaky, misty puffs.

His vision blurred. Light pierced through the darkness.

Suddenly, he stood in the middle of an endless snowy field. The wind howled around him, whispering through the vast, barren expanse. Above, the sky churned with pink plasma and flowing ribbons of cosmic energy, alive with an eerie, celestial beauty.

The sky was dark, save for the stars, the glowing currents, and a distant moon casting its pale light.

Mountains framed the horizon, not towering, but high enough to loom over the desolate landscape.

"Where the hell am I…?" Evryn murmured, confusion settling in.

This wasn't the first time.

The realization hit him like a pulse through his mind. The last time this happened, he had been aboard the ship… in that snowy forest…

Eira.

But now, she was nowhere to be seen. He was alone in this vast, dreamlike void.

Then, a surge of memory—

"The village… the village!" His breath hitched. "Those people… that little girl… Mira…"

His right hand shot up to his face, expecting pain. But—nothing. No aching wounds.

His eyes darted down to his shoulder, then his whole body. Every wound, every gash, every bruise—gone.

"What the hell is going on?" His voice wavered, his heart pounding.

He stood there, trying to piece it together. His mind was a fog, fragments of memory floating just out of reach.

Mira. The grenade. The gunshot.

Then—darkness.

A storm of memories crashed over him all at once. The raiders. The blood. The rage that swallowed him whole.

And then—him.

The man with the great sword. The one who put Evryn down like it was nothing.

His fists clenched. The cold no longer mattered.

None of that mattered anymore.

What mattered was Mira.

Even though he hadn't known her for long, it didn't change a thing. She had touched something deep within him—something he couldn't ignore, no matter how much he tried.

The wind picked up, howling louder, its force growing stronger. Snow and ice blurred the horizon, making it harder to see beyond the swirling storm.

Then—movement.

A figure stood ahead, barely visible through the thickening frost. It was distant, yet unmistakably watching him.

The wind howled louder—then just as suddenly, it softened.

The storm cleared, and there she stood.

Eira.

Her piercing, icy gaze locked onto him.

Evryn's jaw clenched. "What is this? What do you want from me? You brought me here again—what are you getting at?"

Silence.

She didn't answer. She only stared.

His body tensed. He had a feeling she was about to pull that same trick again—vanishing and reappearing behind him. Not this time.

He blinked—she was gone.

A smirk tugged at his lips. I knew it.

He spun around immediately, already speaking— "No, you—"

But the words died in his throat.

She wasn't there.

His heartbeat stuttered. A cold, creeping unease spread through him. He turned back—

And found her right in front of him.

His breath hitched. She was so close—closer than before, close enough that he could see every detail of her pale blue eyes. They were hypnotic, pulling him in, freezing him in place.

He forced himself to look away. But then—

A soft, cold hand touched his jaw, tilting his face gently back toward her.

He stiffened.

Her touch was light—almost delicate. But it held an unspoken command.

She smiled, just slightly.

"You did well."

Her words echoed through him, sinking deep into his core.

There was something behind them. Something she wasn't saying.

"You wer—"

Before Evryn could even finish, she silenced him with a single motion—her index finger pressing lightly against his lips.

His breath hitched. His eyes flickered downward to her hand, then back to her face. He wanted to speak, to question, but something about her gaze kept the words trapped in his throat.

"Your suffering strengthens you," she murmured. "But don't do that again."

Evryn's chest tightened. She was talking about what had happened—about the rage that consumed him, the carnage he left behind.

Before he could respond, her expression darkened. Her pale blue eyes sharpened, her voice turning grave.

"That old man…" she said, her words slow, deliberate. "Stay away from him."

She pulled her finger away, and Evryn swallowed, trying to process. "But wh—"

She raised her hand and tapped his forehead.

His vision snapped to black.

***

Evryn woke up, his body heavy with exhaustion. The dull ache of fatigue lingered, and whatever Eira had done to him…

It seemed as if, whatever he was unconscious or whatever he would be taken to that snowy world that Eira resides in.

Although it was random, like he was able to sleep peacefully yesterday night, he wasn't sure of what to make of any of this, it was all mysterious and unnerving… 

Especially whenever she spoke to him, her words have so much meaning and they just stick to him.

His vision was blurry as he stared up at a wooden ceiling. Slowly, he pushed himself up, the ice pack on his forehead slipping off.

He glanced down at the ice pack, then at his body. His chest, shoulder, and parts of his arms were wrapped in bandages.

A groan escaped him as he lifted his right arm, testing for pain. To his surprise, there was none.

Stretching his arms and back, he straightened himself up, shaking off the drowsiness.

A deep sigh escaped him. Why are all these strange things happening to me? Im so tired of it…

He lifted his right hand to touch the spot on his forehead where the man had slashed him. Again, to his surprise, there was no scar, no wound.

Who would've guessed… It wasn't that he was complaining, but these bizarre disappearances of pain and injury were both a relief and unsettling.

He stared at his right hand, clenched it into a fist, then stopped.

Surveying the room, it was familiar—the one he had been staying in. His sword leaned against the door, the wolf's pelt rested on the desk, and sunlight streamed through the open window.

Someone had taken him in and cared for him.

How kind…

Evryn swung his legs over the edge of the bed, pressing his feet to the cold wooden floor. He stood up slowly, his legs wobbly at first, but he steadied himself after a moment.

The door creaked open, and Helaine stepped inside.

She froze, her eyes widening as she saw Evryn awake. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other in silence.