Across Eternity Book 8

Lost and Found

 

 

The man slowly woke, the darkness receding from his mind as his eyes opened to the light. And yet, there was nothing within him for the light to shine upon. He was hollow, devoid of memory. He did not know his name, where he was, or how he had gotten there. The stone ceiling overhead was unfamiliar, as was the bed he lay in. The sun’s radiance filled the room, but only because so much of the room was missing. Looking around, the man realized he had woken up in the ruins of some ancient structure. Parts of the wall and ceiling had been destroyed ages ago, letting in the warm salt breeze. The man could hear waves in the distance, and the crying of birds.

As he sat up, the man realized he wasn’t alone. A woman slept at the foot of the bed, having waited at his side until she could no longer remain awake. She had dark skin and silver hair, with the tip of one of her pointed ears visible. She was beautiful, but the man did not recognize her. And yet, he felt like he was supposed to. Though he could not remember her, she would not be here if she were simply a stranger. Looking at his hands, the man realized they both had the same complexion, and as he began to move, she opened her eyes, glimmering like diamonds. They were filled with fear and desperation, but also hope and joy, and she smiled when she saw him.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Hello,” the man replied, not sure of what else to say.

The woman sat up and stretched. “How do you feel?”

“I… I don’t know. I can’t remember anything.”

“That’s ok. It’ll come back to you.”

“Who are you?”

She sighed happily, looking like she was about to shed tears of joy. “I’m your sister. My name is Valia. You’re my twin brother, Valon.”

“Valon,” he muttered while blinking several times. For the life of him, he could not recall ever being called that name, and yet it felt right. “And you’re really my sister?”

“That’s right. We’ve been together for seven hundred years. Here. Do you recognize yourself?”

She handed him a mirror, and he looked at his reflection. Along with his skin tone, he had the same silver hair and eyes. He wasn’t sure if he recognized this face as his own, but it was a face he could accept.

“This is me?”

“That’s right.” She then reached out and cupped his cheeks. Her forwardness caused him some alarm, but looking into her eyes, he saw her love and knew she wasn’t a threat to him. “I’ve missed you so much. We’re finally together again.”

“Together again? Where have I been?”

“Lost, and I’ve been looking for you.”

“And where am I now?”

“If I told you, it probably wouldn’t mean anything. You’ll recognize it on your own, soon enough. Until then, just know that you’re safe, and you’re with friends.”

“Ok,” he said, unsure of what else he could respond with. He again looked down at his hands, noticing a metal bracelet on his wrist. He tried to remove it, but it was firmly secured.

“What is this?” he asked.

“That’s to bind your magic, which has become unstable due to your condition. Until we’re sure you’ve fully recovered, it would be best if you kept it on. Let me ask again: how do you feel? Is there pain anywhere? Any discomfort?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m glad. That’s a good sign. What do you feel like doing? Do you want to lie in bed a bit longer? Want to get up and move around? Maybe get something to eat?”

“Yeah, I’m starving.”

“Great. Let’s get some food.”

Valia held out her hand to him, and Valon was pulled to his feet. He was grateful for her help, as he almost fell when he stood up. His body was stiff from spending so much time in bed.

“Easy. You’ve been asleep for a long while,” she said, keeping him steady.

“I have? Why?”

“You were sick. When we found you, you were in a rough condition. I’ve been taking care of you while you recovered.”

“Thank you.”

“I know that if our positions were reversed, you’d do the same for me. We’re twins, after all.”

“My sickness… is that why I can’t remember anything?”

“Sort of. I’ll explain later. Let’s just eat. Besides, everyone wants to meet you.”

“Everyone?”

“As I said, you’re with friends, and they’ll all be happy to see you’ve woken up and are feeling better.”

Valon got dressed, and Valia led him out of the room and down the stone corridors, where numerous holes in the ceiling let in the sunlight. They stepped out onto a large stone terrace looking out over a beach, where a ship was run aground. The sun’s warmth and the scent of the ocean put Valon at peace, stirring something within him. Though he could not remember the details, he knew intuitively that he was not a stranger to this place. He had spent a decent amount of time here.

Around the terrace were paths leading to various surrounding ruins, and a cooking fire had been built in the center, with several logs set for people to sit. A young woman Valon didn’t recognize was making a pot of stew. She had a beige complexion and narrow eyes, quite beautiful, but her ears didn’t seem human, and he realized she had a tail like a horse. Seeing them, the young woman smiled and got to her feet. She approached and bowed her head with her hands clasped in front of her.

“Sir Valon, it’s an honor to finally meet you. I’m Shannon. Lady Valia has told me a great deal about you.”

“Hello,” he replied.

“Making lunch?” Valia asked.

“That’s right. Come take a seat.”

As they sat down around the fire, another woman appeared, walking down one of the paths leading to the terrace. She had a light complexion, and her ears, like Shannon’s, were definitely not human, appearing to belong to a cat, and she had a long, bushy tail that swished behind her.

“And there’s the man of the hour,” she said with a smile as she laid eyes on Valon.

“Valon, this is Cyrilo. The two of you are old friends,” said Valia.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’ll come back. You and I used to explore the depths of magic together, trading notes and research. If a miswritten spell were to blow up in our faces, I bet that would jog your memory.”

A man then entered the camp, wearing a leather jacket. “Something smells good.” He spotted Valon. “Yo,” he said.

“This is Daniel. The two of you haven’t met before, but he’s a good guy,” said Cyrilo.

“What’s up?” Daniel asked.

Valon wasn’t sure how to answer.

As Shannon continued working on the stew, more people began steadily showing up. Two women arrived, a beautiful blonde and equally stunning redhead. When she saw Valon, the redheaded woman gained that same caring smile as Valia.

“Valon, this is Alexis and Sophia,” said Valia. “Sophia is a healer and spent a lot of time working on you to get you better.”

“It wasn’t the first time. We’ve met before and I healed some nasty wounds of yours. I doubt you remember, but I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Well, thank you, for then and for now.”

Valon suddenly found himself surrounded and was trying to memorize everyone’s names. He understood that Valia was his sister, and his instincts told him that he had known Cyrilo in the past, but there were still three strangers that he was trying to process. Another man then appeared, tall and bulky, but with a gentle expression as he approached.

“Seraph, you back from sparring with Noah?” Alexis asked.

“Yeah. Without my powers, I’m still helpless against him. He’ll be back soon, just wanted to relay a message to Uther. Valon,” he then said with a nod.

“Hello,” Valon replied, wondering where he had met this stranger before.

“I’m Seraph, Prince of Uther. You’ve known me since I was a child, though, hopefully, you won’t remember those days. I wasn’t a good person in the past, and I’m trying to make up for that.”

Valon paused and looked at the ground. “How is it that all of you know I’ve lost my memory? Why is it that I can’t remember anything?”

Everyone looked at each other, then to Valia. “Just wait until Noah gets here. He’ll explain everything. For now, let’s eat,” she said.

Bowls of stew were given to everyone, and upon the first bite, Valon hummed in bliss. “This is delicious. I feel like I’ve eaten it before.”

“Shannon is great at cooking,” said Valia.

“It was you who gave me the recipe, My Lady,” she said with a grateful nod and smile.

“Our mother used to make it. I thought it would be the best thing for you to eat,” Valia added while looking at Valon.

Valon couldn’t help but stuff his face, feeling like he hadn’t eaten in days. He ate three bowls of stew and still wasn’t satisfied, with Shannon realizing she’d have to make more. One bowl had been set out for the mysterious Noah character that Valia had mentioned, and in his ravenous hunger, Valon couldn’t help but eye it greedily, hoping it would become his if not soon claimed. Finally, the last member of the group arrived, taking his seat by the fire and retrieving his bowl.

“Hello, Valon.”

Valon gazed at the young man, knowing he had met him before, but unable to think of a time or place. He had a polite but weary smile, tinged with hope and desperation like Valia’s.

“Are you Noah?” Valon asked.

“Did you remember that name, or hear it?” Noah countered.

“They were talking about you,” said Valon, motioning to the others.

“Well, I am Noah, and I’ve been waiting for a very long time to speak to you.”

“Who are you?”

“A friend, though we’ve only met a couple of times before, and neither of those occurrences went very well. I’ve been helping Valia look for you.”

“Why can’t I remember anything?”

“Your memory will come back; I promise you that. It was done intentionally to help you.”

“Help me? How does erasing my memory help me?”

“Not erased, just temporarily suppressed. The whole point of this is for you to relearn all that you’ve forgotten. You want to know what happened? Well, here it is. A few years ago, you suffered an accident and learned something horrible, a truth of such monumental size and weight that it shattered your mind and drove you insane. You abandoned your sister, betrayed your friends, and committed many crimes because of what you learned.

As time went on, your worsening madness affected your health and ability to take care of yourself. Left to your own devices, you’d go into these deranged fits for days at a time, wasting away while your mind tore itself to shreds. The last time we found you, you were banging your head against a tree and scribbling nonsense with your blood, suffering from infected wounds and malnourishment.”

“Technically, we were the ones who found you in that state,” said Alexis.

“That was how we met, the first time I healed you,” added Sophia. “To see you rested and healthy now is a great relief.”

“Valia and I have been searching for you, not just to bring you home, but to cure you and heal your mind, so you can go back to being her brother instead of the madman you became. The reason your memories have been suppressed is part of the healing process. We had to separate the truth you learned from your conscious mind for a while, and give you a chance to recover. You’ve been asleep for quite a while so that your brain could rest and heal from the burden of knowing that truth.

Where I come from, this practice was used on soldiers scarred by war, victims of sexual abuse, and other individuals with paralyzing trauma. A drug-induced temporary amnesia gave them a reprieve from their memories and the time to heal. Then, when those memories returned, they would have the opportunity to process them correctly. The principle is the same with you, but we used magic instead of drugs, and like a drug, the effect will wear off, and your memories will slowly return. I’m hoping that when you finally remember the horrible truth, it won’t shatter your mind like the first time, and you’ll be able to retain your sense of self.

Your amnesia also gives us the chance to talk to you. As I mentioned before, the times we met in the past turned into big messes. We tried to start a dialogue, to bring you home, to convince you to let us help you in your goals, but you wouldn’t hear it. You wanted nothing to do with us and got violent. Now we finally have the chance to do what we never could before: to sit down and truly talk to each other. Honestly, we tried it earlier, without your memories suppressed, and it did not go well.”

Valon looked down at the metal bracelet he was wearing. “Is that why I’m wearing this? Valia said it was because my magic was unstable, and it would be removed once I fully recovered. You restrained my magic so that I wouldn’t be able to fight you or escape.”

“Correct, but Valia wasn’t lying to you. The truth you learned, though it drove you insane, also augmented your powers, turning you into a living weapon of mass destruction. I’m sure you can understand why we want to remove them from the equation for now. Listen to me, Valon. No one here is your enemy. No one here means you any harm. I swear to you, we just want you to get better. The goal is for you to regain your memories and return to being the person you were before the accident, to know the truth without letting it turn you into a violent madman. Once we’re sure you’re back to normal and not a threat to us or yourself, I’ll remove that seal.”

“You said I committed many crimes before. What happens to me once I’m healed? Will I spend the rest of my life in prison or get executed?”

“We won’t let that happen,” Valia countered, grasping his hand. “When the time comes, you will have to answer for your crimes, but there are ways to do that that don’t involve a dungeon or a chopping block. Restitution will come from your actions, not your suffering.”

“It’s a path I’ll walk with you,” said Seraph. “Like you, I did a lot of things in the past that I’m ashamed of. Now I’m using my power to save lives, to help more people in the present than I hurt in the past, and to build a brighter future. Once that seal comes off and you get your magic back, you’ll be able to do the same.”

Valon was silent for several moments. “What is this horrible truth? What did I learn that drove me insane?”

“Trust me, you’ll figure it out on your own, and that’s how it’s supposed to happen.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Honestly? Just relax. Eat good food, sleep as much as you want, and enjoy the serenity of your mind being a blank slate. Don’t try digging into your memories or forcing them to surface. Just let them return on their own, like a slow, incoming tide, one little lapping wave at a time. Suffice it to say, things are quite violent and hectic out in the world, and we went through a lot before coming here, so we’re all enjoying the chance to take it easy for a bit.”

Once they finished eating, Valia grasped her brother’s hand and stood up. “Come on, let’s go for a walk on the beach.”

He went with her, neither agreeing nor refusing. Once they were out of earshot, Noah turned to everyone. “What do you think?”

“I didn’t know Valon very well growing up, but his demeanor is very similar to how he was before the accident,” said Seraph.

“It’s true,” Cyrilo added. “He may not remember anything, but I definitely recognize the old Valon.”

“I truly hope he’ll make a full recovery and return to his old self,” Shannon said, then clutching Noah’s hand. “Someday, you and I will succumb to the fragility of our mortal bodies, and when it happens, I want to know that Lady Valia won’t be alone; that she’ll have her brother by her side for all the ages to come.”

“Still, part of me doesn’t like this,” said Alexis. “Don’t get me wrong, I truly hope it works, and I know Valon needs to be healed by any means necessary, but this method just feels… a bit wrong to me. Is this really a technique of healing from your past life?”

“It is, and it showed great results. People who were mentally crippled by trauma managed to revert to their old selves. They still carried the scars of what happened to them, but the knowledge of what happened to them was successfully reincorporated into their minds and they learned how to live again. I even experimented with the process myself.”

“And… how well did it work?” Sophia asked.

“Well, I mostly just did it to experience some temporary amnesia and be anyone but myself for a while. In that way, it worked for a little bit. Hopefully, it’ll be better for Valon.”

“Still, I can’t help but be reminded of how Ziradith controlled Galvin to deal with his madness. Putting Valon in this state, messing with his memories just to make him docile; I feel like it’s in that same vein of manipulation,” Alexis said.

“And maybe it is. But can you look at Valia’s smile and say that what we’re doing is wrong?” Noah asked.

While the friends spoke, the two siblings walked along the beach, strolling through the white sands. Valia clung to Valon as though afraid that he’d float away. It was a beautiful day; the sky was clear, the sun was warm, and the breeze was gentle as the waves. Though autumn was sinking into Uther and the surrounding nations, down here, there was no chill to be found.

“This is where we grew up, isn’t it?” Valon finally asked.

“What makes you say that?”

“The feeling of the sand and water between my toes. I feel like… I’ve done it before, done it so many times that though my mind has forgotten, my body never could. My feet remember the feeling, having done it since they were very small.”

“You’re right. This is Tsyrfil Island, our home, just not as it used to be. I wish I could tell you that we used to walk and play on this beach when we were children, but that’s not the case. Hundreds of years ago, this place was swept clean by a massive wave, killing our friends and family, erasing all of the homes, destroying most of the vegetation, and completely reshaping the island. This beach wasn’t here before, and the ones we grew up on are now gone. You and I barely survived. It was the worst day of our lives, but we had each other and took it as a sign to leave and see the world.”

“And you brought me here to heal?”

“Not quite. We came here, following you. Truth be told, I was pretty mad at you for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“The first time we found you after the accident, you had secluded yourself on a monster-infested island so that you could work without anyone interrupting you, but we showed up, had a big fight, and you fled. The next time we found you, we tried to talk to you again, but you got violent and flew off again. Noah tracked you to this place. I think you came here not because you were sentimental or anything of the sort, but because you knew this was the last place I’d ever want to go and the last place I expected you to come. Like I said, I was pretty mad at you for that.” Valia paused, sniffling and wiping away a few tears.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no, don’t worry about it. This… this isn’t because of that. I just… I never thought we’d get to do this again, to walk these shores the way we used to. When you left, I couldn’t help but worry that I had lost my brother forever, and every time we failed to bring you home, I just became more and more certain that our bond had been severed. But now… But now…” Valia could no longer hold herself back and threw her arms around Valon, holding him tight as her tears flowed without restraint. “We’re finally together! You’re finally back! And I don’t ever want to lose you again!” Her words became a cry of anguish and relief, sobbing beyond all manner of control.

“I’m sorry, Valia,” he replied, feeling her love and pain as he could feel the water lapping at their feet. They fell to their knees, the brother and sister holding each other after being apart for so long.

As Valia and Valon went out to explore the island, Noah decided to pay Elisandra and Rain a visit. He appeared in the Sylphtorian palace, finding her in bed with their son, happy as could be, watching him grab her fingers with his tiny hands and take in the world with his wide eyes. Without saying a word, Noah lay down beside them, he and Elisandra sharing the smile of proud parents. However, he was only here in spirit.

Though he had managed to achieve the power of teleportation by combining the powers of False and Space, he couldn’t simply travel anywhere at any time. He could only use it to change places with is clone. Both his physical body and his doppelganger exerted a “presence” that allowed him, to an extent, to be in two places at once. His clone acted like a tether, linking him to different locations once projected, with his teleportation spell, False Place, allowing him to swap the location of the physical presence for the ethereal. To teleport without a clone was like trying to make a call using the only phone in existence.

For the spell to work, he had to implement a cooldown system, in which the farther he traveled, the longer he had to wait before he could use it again. Though the harkonen orbs allowed him to project his presence farther than he ever could without them, when it came to teleportation, the challenge of distance could not be so easily cheated. If he was trading places with his clone over a distance of ten feet, he could do it once every second with minimal mana expenditure. Still between Tsyrfil Island and Sylphtoria, it would be days before he could return. As much as he wanted to spend time with Elisandra and Rain, he couldn’t take the risk of being away from Valon, not until he had regained both his memories and his sanity.

Elisandra understood this and said nothing, knowing how important it was to Noah. After all, the sooner Valon helped Noah break his curse, the sooner Noah could retire to Sylphtoria permanently and spend the rest of his life with her and Rain.

“How is everything going?” Elisandra finally asked.

“Valon’s awake. As planned, he doesn’t remember anything, but that’ll change. So far, he shows no signs of madness, which is great news. The real challenge will be retaining his sanity once he remembers everything that happened, but I’m hopeful he’ll do better this time.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you, Noah, and for Valia. I can’t imagine how much she’s suffered since he vanished. It’s wonderful for her to finally have her brother back.”

“Her joyful tears fall like rain. Speaking of which….”

Elisandra chuckled and held Rain close. “He’s just the most amazing thing in the world. I simply can’t wrap my mind around the fact that we managed to create something so utterly perfect and incredible. His birth was ordained by the spirits, and yet I look into his eyes, feel him squeeze my fingers with his, listen to his little squeals, and I feel like he stands even above them. Is this what every new parent feels like? Is this what you’ve felt like with all the kids you raised?”

“Not quite, but that’s because you weren’t the mother.”

In the weeks since Rain’s birth, Sylphtoria had been caught in a blissful dream of celebration. Every elf in the Anorvan Forest was overjoyed at the birth of the new heir, praying for Rain, Noah, and Elisandra every evening by the light of the Star of Sylphtoria. The days were getting cold and dark, and they’d soon be moving against the Profane, but there was hope for peace after the war.

While Noah spent time with Elisandra and Rain, Valia continued to explore the island with Valon. Much had changed in the centuries since the day of the eruption and the wave. Almost all of the original trees and plants had been uprooted, but new life had sprung forth since, and though the beaches and soil had been drastically rearranged, the bedrock of the island and the original ruins remained resolute, still holding strong and offering various landmarks from the siblings’ past.

As they walked on familiar ground, beneath unfamiliar trees, Valia told stories of their childhood. She spoke of their parents and home. She spoke of holidays and celebrations, of food and song, of good times and bad. They’d stand on cliffs, and she’d recount the endless days they spent leaping into the ocean below with their friends. They’d walk the beaches, and she’d describe how they’d fish and dive, sometimes spending more time in the water than on land. They’d walk on the remains of old roads, and Valia would talk about their fellow members of the dark elf tribe.

Valon didn’t say much, simply listening to everything Valia told him. He couldn’t yet remember the island as she did, but deep in his heart, he knew that everything she said was true. He knew that she was being honest when she spoke of the time they spent on this island, of the childhood they shared. Even if he did not know who he was, she did.

They weren’t the only ones enjoying the beauty of the island and getting some much-needed rest. Seraph was meditating on a seaside cliff, wearing a binding headband like Noah’s. Noah had made him the headband and taught him the foundations of training. As such, he was stuck, unable to move, and had to rely on his friends to routinely free him while he struggled to overcome the restraining effect, just like with weight-training. He was trying to both augment his control and projection abilities, but also get himself more in tune with the light. Here at the edge of the cliff, he soaked in as much sunlight as he could, trying to merge it with his own holy mana and energize his body. He needed to get stronger in every way possible.

Suffice it to say, after everything that had happened lately, his faith in himself had been shaken. During his fight with Umbra, when he unleashed the full power of Light’s Emissary, he got to experience the width and breadth of his potential, and close the gap between himself and Adwith Tarnas. He played that fight over and over again in his mind, comparing it to Tarnas’s fight against Scyler, and tried to measure the lingering difference between their levels of strength. He knew that there was still a lot of time and practice required to truly master his abilities, but he had hope and confidence in himself, at least until Duravound and Ziradith.

Getting caught in that Chaos Field, feeling the power of Zyrga bearing down on him and eating away at his very existence, he realized how grossly outmatched he was. Even if he could have fought her with all his strength, he would have been snuffed out like a candle in a winter night. Even scarier, he wasn’t sure Tarnas would have fared much better. She probably could have even destroyed Lumestada. Ziradith was more than just some monster or villain; she had become a world-ender. How was he supposed to face evil of such magnitude?

Noah had managed to defeat her, something he and everyone else were incredibly fortunate for, but Seraph had always felt that as Light’s Emissary, he was the one meant to vanquish the leader of the Profane and end their nightmare. He thought that was his path to redemption. All he could do now was keep training, keep improving himself and honing his abilities, all while trying to ignore his building doubts and fears.

As Seraph meditated, Alexis, Sophia, and Shannon were swimming around the island, exploring the local reefs. They were garbed in some rudimentary swimwear, if only so that none of the men could see them in the nude, though neither Shannon nor Sophia would be shy around Noah. When they got cold, they’d take a break from the water and lie out on the warm sands and bask in the sun. Coconut oil on their skin added some protection from the sunlight, and Sophia could heal any burns they developed. A bit of fun and relaxation was just what they needed.

“This is truly bliss,” Sophia sighed, sitting on a beach with Alexis and Shannon.

“Valia and Valon were so lucky to be able to grow up here,” said Alexis, lying on her back. “Maybe we could build a house here and come out to avoid the winters.”

“I had no idea places like this even existed. I didn’t see the ocean until Lord Noah and I arrived in Colbrand,” Shannon added, lying on her stomach and letting her tail dry.

“For someone from the horse tribe, you sure swim like a fish,” said Sophia, making the three women laugh.

“I doubt my kin would be fond of this place. Water on all sides and so little open space? They’d all be fretting and fussing.”

“Do you think about them often?” Alexis asked.

Shannon took a deep breath. “I do. But instead of thinking of them as gone, I like to imagine their reactions to all the different things I’ve seen and done. The cities, the mountains, the battles, the sea—I can see the looks on their faces so clearly. I can just imagine my father refusing to set one foot in Duravound, I mean, before the mountain was ripped aside. I pretend my tribe is right there with me, so that I’m never alone.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Sophia. “Such a beautiful way to live.”

“Do the two of you plan on seeing your families again?” Shannon then asked.

“Our fathers disowned us, so we’re in no hurry,” said Alexis, “but it would be nice to take the time to reconnect with the rest of our family members once this war is over. I spoke with my mother and siblings after Colbrand was destroyed, but it would be nice to spend a little more time with them.”

“Still, that’s a long way off. Soon, the three great nations will march into Handent. We’ll have to be ready to join them,” said Sophia.

“Honestly, returning to Handent scares me,” Shannon murmured. “Without my tribe, those lands are no longer my home, and yet my heart still aches for the horror going on there, atrocities that I both can and can’t imagine. I keep thinking back to the fall of Welindar. I swore I would rid Handent of the Profane, but we were driven out because of Kaisen, forced to rush to Uther and leave the job unfinished.

I want to return and fulfill my promise, to liberate the people of Handent from the Profane, but I’m terrified that I’ll find there are no people left to save, and that the land will never be what it once was, all because we couldn’t protect Welindar. I said I imagine my tribe is with me, but I just hope they wouldn’t see my failures and be ashamed of me.”

“I think they would be proud of you,” said Alexis. “Besides, if any of your kin looked down on you, I would tell them to withhold judgment until this war is over and the final score is counted. A lot of bad stuff has happened to all of us, but if there is one thing I’ve learned through all these battles and trials, it’s that nothing ends the way we think it will.” Alexis stood up and stretched. “Now, how about we catch some dinner?”

As the three women returned to the sea, elsewhere, Cyrilo was napping in her feline form on sun-warmed rocks, while Daniel practiced new songs in the nearby shade. They, too, were trying to enjoy this downtime and get some much-needed rest. The whole group had been wounded by the events in Vandheim. The battle at Andromeda’s mansion, the clash with the Profane in the valley of the eagle tribe, and the near end of Duravound through the Profane ritual and the evil of Ziradith—the fear, hopelessness, and agony they had all felt could not be shaken off so easily.

The mental and physical damage they suffered just by being exposed to Ziradith’s Chaos Field would take a long time to heal. But here, they had the opportunity to recover. After everything they had been through, there was no better medicine than sitting on a beach and watching the waves. Roc and Cynatas were off exploring the ocean skies and other islands, and could disappear for days at a time.

As the sun began to set, everyone returned to the terrace for dinner. Alexis caught some fat, beautiful fish that Shannon seasoned to perfection.

“So, Valon, how do you feel? Do you remember anything?” Noah asked as everyone ate.

“I wouldn’t quite say that I remember, more like… I know that I’m being told the truth. Valia tells me stories about our childhood on this island, and though I can’t visualize these memories, I know deep in my heart that they happened.”

“That’s excellent. As time passes, the memories will come back like green shoots in the spring.”

“However, I still don’t know what that horrible truth is that I supposedly learned.”

“For the best. You don’t want to rush something like that.”

“I also have this feeling that something bad is happening beyond this island. You said that things were violent and hectic out in the world. What’s going on?”

Noah took a deep breath. “The world is facing an existential threat. A demonic cult known as the Profane has been honing its strength for several years and has amassed armies of monsters ready to claim dominion over everyone and everything. When not looking for you, my friends and I have been fighting them, and, unfortunately, every victory we’ve managed to achieve has been hollow and bittersweet. Admittedly, we could really use your help in this war, because if the Profane can’t be defeated, this planet is doomed. They also have their sights set on you, seeking to either recruit you to their side or kill you. I know that’s not the kind of thing you want to hear, given the situation. Believe me, I don’t like putting this pressure on you, but the situation is what it is.”

“I’ll do what I can to help,” said Valon, but with uncertainty. He was still dealing with his amnesia and trying to remember the people around him, and now being told that he was expected to fight in a war was understandably troubling.

“Don’t worry about any of that,” said Valia. “All you need to focus on is rest and recovery. No one expects anything from you. The world and its issues can wait. This island and this moment are all that matter right now.”

 

----------

 

The next day, Valia took Valon for a morning walk around the island, while Noah was busy in the middle of the island, at what had originally been Valon’s lab. In the ruins of a domed building missing its roof, all of Valon’s research and tools were located, including the magical amalgamation he had been constructing. Since the accident so long ago, Valon had been gathering up materials with high magical conductivity. Minerals, metals, wood, bone, and numerous other ingredients were collected and blended together using alchemy, and even rare and valuable artifacts had been cannibalized for their ink and materials. What had originally been an amorphous composite the size of a beer keg now towered like a lighthouse.

Shannon, Sophia, and Cyrilo were helping him go over Valon’s notes and study the unfinished tower. Pages upon pages of formulations, diagrams, magic circles, and recorded data were plastered all over the walls. Numerous tables were covered in different ink bottles and ingredients mid-preparation, and cold cauldrons hung over the ashes of cooking fires.

Valon had been working on some extremely high-level runic math for this project, so complex that it was hard to tell apart the genius insight from the madman’s nonsense. Noah had been digging through Valon’s work ever since they arrived at the island. The intricacies of this project were quite intimidating, but it also gave Noah hope. If Valon could navigate the mathematics of a project like this, then perhaps he could see through the mire of Noah’s curse.

“What is this place?”

Noah and everyone turned, seeing Valia and Valon suddenly arrive. It was clear that Valon didn’t recognize his own work, but behind his eyes, Noah could see some gears beginning to turn.

“This is your workshop. I thought it would be a good idea for you to see it,” said Valia. “Noah, we’re not intruding, are we?”

“No, of course not. Good to see you both here. If anything, I should be asking Valon that,” Noah replied.

“What are you talking about? What’s going on here?” Valon asked, still confused.

“Pardon my rudeness, but I’m digging through your workshop. This tower is what you came here to build. It’s made of all of the powerful materials and relics you’ve been stealing since your incident.”

“I’ve been stealing this stuff?”

“You committed many crimes in pursuit of your goals.”

“Oh, well… I’m sorry.”

“There’s no point in apologizing for something you can’t remember. Now is the time of recovery. Reconciliation comes later.”

“What exactly was I trying to do here?”

“When last we spoke, you said you were trying to create a rune,” Cyrilo said.

“A rune?”

“Runes are the language in which the universe itself is written,” Noah answered. “You said that the only meaningful act in existence is the creation of meaning itself. According to you, this is the pen you’ll use to etch your rune into the core of reality.”

“Does any of this sound familiar?” Sophia asked.

“Maybe. I’m not sure. This room feels familiar, that much I know.” He looked at the tower and then back to Noah. “Is this what you’re after? Why you came looking for me?” he asked accusingly.

“Valon!” Valia chided.

“Noah, I can tell you didn’t do this just for my sister’s sake. Why did you come here? Why did you attack me?”

Noah sighed. “I see, now. You remember our arrival, don’t you?”

 

----------

 

Several days earlier:

Valon stepped out of his workshop and into the sun, grimacing from how bright it was to his weary eyes. He wasn’t sure how long he had been working on his tower, but it had been at least a day since he last ate, maybe two since he got any sleep, and his body was straining under the punishing work regimen his obsession demanded. He had lost a significant amount of weight, and his hair was coming out in clumps. Though he wanted to keep working, his body refused to continue until he got some rest and sustenance.

He hobbled down the stone steps leading away from his workshop, unsteady on his feet. When he was a child, he and Valia used to run all over this island. He knew every inch of it, but familiarity did not equate to sentimentality. He had lost the ability to feel such things, his mind broken by the vastness of the universe. Emotion and nostalgia simply splashed off his brain like water on rock. He came here, to the island where he was born, simply to work in peace, certain that his sister would not think to look for him here.

As he trekked to his camp to get some food and sleep, a gunshot rang out, and a phantasmal bullet struck Valon in the back of the head. His thoughts were scrambled, and his body went limp, refusing to obey his commands. As he collapsed, the ground liquified beneath him, seizing his hands and feet. Several illusory bombs then landed around him and detonated, blasting him from all angles with light and sound, and though he sustained no physical harm, it further crushed his mental faculties, leaving him shellshocked. Regardless, he refused to lose consciousness, even as a net was thrown over him. It was made of powerful metal cables and had a magic-dampening enchantment, but though it made it difficult to cast magic, it did not disable it completely.

With what little willpower Valon’s exhausted and ravaged mind could conjure, he began venting as much mana as he could in a nameless, shapeless spell, trying to blast away his restraints and keep his unseen foes at bay. His eyes weren’t working, but he could smell something in the air and instinctively held his breath. Whether it was meant to knock him out or kill him, he wasn’t sure, but he felt the fumes threaten to drain him of his remaining strength. He blasted the ground with his magic, freeing his hands and feet and allowing him to stand up.

His vision was starting to return, and he tried to pull off the net, but he was struck by a sudden wave of magical sound, breaking his concentration, and in that instant, he felt a chain loop around him. Valia and Seraph, wearing gas masks and holding both ends, pulled tight to keep Valon from escaping. Like the net, the chain was enchanted to restrict the target’s magic, and now Valon’s was completely sealed. Roc, also wearing a mask, then landed behind Valon and grabbed him in a bear hug, but he refused to surrender, howling and thrashing and still trying to blast away everyone and everything.

However, they still weren’t done. Noah emerged, wearing a gas mask like Valia and Seraph. He continued shooting Valon with mana bullets and setting off smoke bombs containing a knockout agent. At the same time, Alexis and Shannon aimed from a safe distance, not with their normal bows, but with specially-designed crossbows holding unique bolts. Instead of a single solid shaft, each bolt was a cluster of tranquilizer darts, being shot as one projectile but hitting as a barrage, like a MIRV rocket. Valon was struck with over a dozen darts, each one injecting enough sedatives to take down a grizzly bear.

The drugs and gas were wearing down on Valon’s mind and body, and with both his magic and movements restricted, there wasn’t much he could do. Regardless, his madness wouldn’t let him surrender. He still fought and thrashed, howling in fury until, finally, Sophia ran up, grabbed the sides of his head, and set off a mighty burst of holy energy in the center of his brain, both healing him and finally rendering him unconscious.

For three days, Valon was kept in a medically induced coma to rest his weary mind, with Valia refusing to leave his side. Sophia continued to flood him with holy energy to undo as much damage as possible, while Noah administered nutrients and medications to get him healthy. Finally, they decided to wake him up. Valon opened his eyes to find that he was tied to his bed.

“You!” he hissed, seeing Noah.

“Valon, relax. We just want to talk.”

His crazed eyes then fell to Valia. “Get away from me! Both of you, get away from me! I have to nothing to say to either of you!”

“Do you know where you are, Valon?” she asked.

“Get out! Get out!” he shouted, pulling at his binds.

“Answer the question, Valon. Do you know where you are?” Noah asked.

Valon refused to acknowledge him, writhing and thrashing like an animal in a trap. Noah prepared a sedative, something just strong enough to calm him down, and Valia held her brother still enough for Noah to inject him. Valon’s thrashing eased, but he was still breathing rapidly, and Noah could see how fast his heart was beating just by looking at his veins.

“Come on, Valon, talk to us. If we wanted you dead, you’d be dead. If we wanted you hurt, you’d be hurting. I apologize for apprehending you the way we did, but you forced our hand. Tell me: do you know where you are?”

“You should have killed me when you had the chance, because once I get free, I’ll end you!” he hissed. Even while sedated, he still pulled at his binds.

“You’re not going anywhere, Valon. You can’t leave, you can’t fight, and you can’t refuse, so work with me already.”

“I swear I’ll kill you, you bastard! I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way!”

Valia turned and promptly left, trying to keep her emotions in check.

“My Lady?” Shannon asked, following her out into the corridor where Valia was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily with her eyes wet.

“His eyes are so cold and hollow. I don’t know who that is, but it isn’t my brother.”

Back inside, Noah wasn’t going to let Valon get off so easily. “Valon, we’re not trying to get in your way. We’re not telling you to stop. If you want to create a rune, go right ahead, and we’ll help you.”

“You want to help? Then die and leave me alone!”

“Valon, enough!” Cyrilo implored. “I know you went through something traumatic, but that doesn’t mean you can act like this. Believe it or not, we are your friends, and we’re trying to help you.”

“Shut up! You’re nothing to me anymore! You don’t know what it’s like! You don’t know what I saw!”

“But I do! Valon, I’m the only one in the world who understands the universe the way you do,” Noah said. “I understand how much it hurts to learn the truth. I understand why you did what you did. I understand the absolution that you’re after. I understand all of it. We can help each other get what we want. All you have to do is talk to me.”

Valon screamed in refusal and pulled against his binds with hysterical strength, threatening to dislocate one of his limbs or break a bone. “LEAVE ME ALONE!” he howled.

Noah sighed and got to his feet. “Fine, let’s take a break.” He gave Valon another sedative and departed with everyone else, leaving the broken elf to fume in silence.

For days, Noah tried again and again, asking Valon questions and trying to get him to talk, and leaving when Valon got too unstable. At his best, Valon was silent and unresponsive. At his worst, he was violent and screaming, trying to fight like a wounded beast and pulling so hard at his restraints that he drew blood. Noah administered various drugs to get him more talkative, or at least in a better mood. He tried everything from sodium pentothal to LSD, anything to make Valon less defensive and rabid, but he resisted it all. No matter what he was asked, Valon treated it like an interrogation. Valia got the same result. Before, he treated her like a nuisance, but now his eyes were full of hatred.

Finally, Noah ran out of patience. He got on top of Valon, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. “Listen to me, you son of a bitch! I’ve lived too long and endured too much to sit here and deal with your shit! I’ve been as polite and patient with you as I can, but no more! Get over yourself! I don’t care about your fucking hopes and dreams and your demented ego! Break my curse, and you’ll never have to see me again!” In response, Valon just spat in Noah’s face. Noah wiped it away and resisted the urge to pummel his hostile patient. “Goddammit, just look at the damn thing!”

He projected his curse onto the adjacent wall, and all it took was one glimpse from Valon for Noah to know something was different. There was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. “The keystone,” he whispered.

“You can read this, can’t you? You know what it is!”

Fresh fury filled Valon’s eyes. “And I know who you are. I don’t need you! I don’t need either of you! I’m not your tool or your test subject! Your failures are your own, and I will not be bound by them! I’LL KILL YOU!”

He continued screaming and howling at the top of his lungs, but then the tone of his scream changed, and his angry pulling at his binds became uncontrolled writhing and spasming, while a chain of curses passing his lips became complete gibberish. He was having a seizure, and his mind was falling into a completely unhinged state.

“Damn it,” Noah muttered. He administered a fresh sedative to put Valon to sleep and got up. “GODDAMMIT!” he cursed at the empty air. He stepped out into the hall, finding Valia and Cyrilo. “That bastard knows things that he won’t tell us. He knows something about me and my curse. I just don’t understand where this hatred and ego are coming from. I saw true killing intent in his eyes for me that just doesn’t make sense. I get that he’s mad at us for interrupting his work, but if making a rune really was worth all of the pain and damage he’s caused, he’d be accepting our help to get it done. I would swallow any pride I had to break my curse, but he won’t?”

“It’s like he’s possessed by some kind of evil spirit. I can’t help but wonder if he even can be saved,” said Cyrilo.

“He doesn’t have the luxury of quitting on us. He knows something about my curse, and he is not allowed to die until I’ve ripped the secrets from his mind.”

“So, what do we do now?” Valia asked.

“It’s time to apply the memory magic. Let’s hope that when he wakes up, he’ll be more talkative.”

 

----------

 

“You really remembered all that?” Noah asked in surprise. “I assumed the capture would just be a blur, even after your memories came back. We did what we had to in order to make sure you couldn’t escape or kill us all. I apologize for our methods, and lament that they were necessary. It took a lot of effort to circumvent your magical alarms and traps, find the right place for the ambush, and even get close to you. There was absolutely no room for error, so we had to hit hard and fast.”

“You still haven’t answered my question. You didn’t come after me just for Valia’s sake.”

“You’re right. I love your sister, enough to do a great many things for her sake, including track you down.” Noah walked over and took Valia’s hand, with her other holding Valon’s. “But the real reason I sought her and you out initially is because I need your help. I have a curse I need to break, and I think you’re the only one who can do it. Though you can’t remember it, you are perhaps the world’s foremost expert on magic and runic math. I need you to regain your memories and skills so that you can fix me. I showed you my curse after we captured you, and I know you somehow recognized it.”

“I see. That… makes sense. I just needed to know for sure. I needed to know the truth.”

“I wish we could have talked things out, but that wasn’t an option. That said, along with breaking my curse, I think you and I could be good friends, and I’m hoping you won’t hold a grudge towards me for doing what I had to do.”

He then reached out and placed his hand on Valon’s shoulder. In that moment, when all three of them were making physical contact, a sudden wave of silver energy rushed through the trio as if some kind of circuit had been completed. They were forced apart by the sudden surge, each experiencing something different. Valia was the least affected, receiving a numbing tingle throughout her body, but both Noah and Valon were struggling to stay on their feet. Noah couldn’t see, his vision blocked by flashes of silver light, like fire crackers going off in front of his eyes, while he felt the power ripple and crackle through the folds of his brain, rendering every thought indecipherable. It reminded him of when he learned the Rune of False, and he felt it rewrite his mind. Valon was having the worst time, gripping his head and screaming in pain.

“The stars! Too many stars! It’s too much!”

“His memories are returning!” Valia exclaimed.

She had been waiting for this, hoping he would be able to process the information better than the first time, but Valon’s agony was no less intense than back then. He collapsed, continuing to scream and writhe as his mind threatened to tear itself apart. Valia crouched beside her brother, trying to hold him still and comfort him through the ordeal, but as his nose began to bleed and he began ripping out his hair, she realized it wasn’t working.

“Sophia! Cyrilo! Do it!”

The two women moved fast. Sophia grasped the sides of Valon’s head and shocked his mind with a burst of holy mana, reaping his consciousness. Cyrilo then went to work casting the memory suppression spell. While this was going on, Shannon was tending to Noah. Though not in the same pained state as Valon, he was still experiencing sensory overload, and it took some time for his mind to clear. He looked over to Valia, cradling the unconscious Valon.

“Damn it,” she muttered with tears of frustration in her eyes. “Damn it!”

“Don’t… don’t worry. I had little hope that it would work completely the first time. We’ll… just have to try again,” said Noah, trying to ease his sudden headache.

“What in the world just happened? What was that?” Valia asked.

“The ritual the two of you performed didn’t just shatter Valon’s mind, remember? It’s also what brought me to this world. When the three of us made contact, it must have triggered some kind of reverberation, some remnant of the original ritual that jogged Valon’s memories. And now we know that the three of us shouldn’t make physical contact at the same time. That’s an important lesson for our second attempt.”

“So, what now?” Sophia asked.

“We put him to bed, let him sleep it off until tomorrow, and then we take it from the top.”

Sophia helped Valia lift Valon onto her back, and the group departed from the workshop. But as Noah followed everyone out, he paused. He was looking out the doorway, down the stone steps to the island below, and to a large rocky outcropping jutting from the sea directly ahead. It reminded him of something. He turned around, looking back into the room, getting that same sense of déjà vu. He again looked outside to the jutting stone, feeling that tingle in the back of his mind.

He had been somewhere with a similar view and architecture, but where and when? When he went to Greece on his honeymoon? A business trip in Italy? An archeological dig in South America? A black ops mission in the Middle East? What was this place reminding him of? And why, after all the days he had spent digging through Valon’s work, coming and going out of this building, why was he only getting this feeling now? Try as he might to drag the answers out of his mind, he had no luck. All he could do was put those thoughts aside for the moment. He had to focus on helping Valon.

The next morning, a man woke up with no name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stirrings

 

 

 

 

 

High above the Anorvan Forest, shrouded by Noah’s mana, Elisandra was free to moan in euphoria as the two of them made up for lost time within the tangles of her damp bedsheets. Noah was visiting, not in spirit, but physically, and Elisandra wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste. All the guards and attendants had been banished from the palace so they could get some alone time, and Rain was down for a nap. They hadn’t made love since Noah left for Handent, and she had fully recovered from childbirth, both physically and sexually. The two of them had been going for hours, grunting, moaning, and swearing in bliss, with Noah giving Elisandra one orgasm after another.

She was on top, moaning and gasping as she gyrated her hips, having missed the feel of Noah inside her. Noah had missed the feeling as well, missed being able to interlace his fingers with hers, to reach out and caress her cheek, to hold her and kiss her. Seeing her smile and blush, hearing her moan and whisper words of love, could only be properly enjoyed in the flesh. She was stunningly gorgeous, utterly without flaw. Gazing at her as she rode him was like basking in the light of the Star of Sylphtoria. One would never think she had recently given birth.

Her breasts, already the largest in the elven kingdom, had grown even larger to feed their son, but Noah couldn’t resist helping himself to the tap. He kissed and sucked on her breasts, savoring the sweet ambrosia that flowed forth. Coming from the queen of the elves, ancient and powerful, every drop was so saturated with nourishment and mana that Noah couldn’t help but imagine Elisandra terraforming an entire dead planet, turning it into a lush paradise with just a few drops. He even wondered if his human body could actually process it, or if it might kill him like hypervitaminosis, and yet he couldn’t stop himself.

“My, my. Now I know where Rain gets his appetite from,” Elisandra said with a blush.

“Can you blame me? You have the essence of life itself, the waters of the Fountain of Youth, here for the taking. Before, I was in love with you, and now I worry I’ll become addicted to you.”

“Now you know how I feel about you.”

With his arms around her, Noah rolled over on top of Elisandra in the missionary position. Now he was free to unleash his lust, thrusting into her with rapid, deep strokes. Elisandra spread her legs, wanting to remove any obstacle that might hinder Noah’s movements. Her toes curled in bliss as he drove into her, and her moans were only silenced when Noah sealed her lips with his own. Her pussy welcomed his girth, but wasn’t keen on letting go. Every time he pulled back, it felt like she was gripping him, not wanting to give up a single inch. Her interior, wet as ripe fruit, soft as flower petals, and warm as a steaming bath, made him feel right at home while she tried to drain him of all of his seed.

“Noah, I’ve missed this so much! I’ve missed you!” Elisandra moaned.

“Me too, Ellie. Me too. I’m going to cum soon.”

“Give it to me!”

Noah obliged, ejaculating deep inside her and flooding her with his progeny. Elisandra shuddered in bliss with each drop he deposited between her legs. Noah moved off her and the two lay side by side, gasping for air and letting their sweat evaporate.

“Are you trying to get me pregnant again?” she faintly chuckled.

“It seemed like you were more than willing,” he replied in kind.

“I swear, I never feel so alive as when I’m with you.”

“Being with you always puts me at ease. I feel like I can truly relax and exhale.”

Noah released his magic, and once they had both caught their breath, Rain began to softly cry, as if he had been politely waiting for his parents to finish their fun. Elisandra put on a robe and went to the nearby nursery, scooping up Rain in her arms.

“I suppose it would be selfish of me to hoard all of your father’s time and attention.”

Rain’s fussing was short-lived, and Elisandra returned to the bed, handing him to Noah and curling up next to him.

“Hey, Rain. How have you been? How’s my boy doing?” Noah asked. He held out his finger and Rain grasped it with his tiny hand, making Noah smile. “That’s a nice grip. My son is so strong.”

“I think he recognizes you. He knows his father when he sees him,” Elisandra said dreamily.

“That’s because he’s a clever boy, clever and strong. And as he grows up, he’ll become more and more brilliant, more powerful, and accomplish wonders.”

“And yet part of me wishes he would never grow up. I want him to stay tiny and cute forever, so I never have to let him go. I want him to keep these little fingers, these little toes, these little curls, and that little smile. I want him to remain this innocent little bundle who knows nothing of the world, only that it is warm, and safe, and he is loved.

But another part of me can’t wait to watch him grow up. I want to hear what he has to say. I want to see what he can do. I want to know what choices he’ll make and the life he’ll live. I want him to start walking and talking and making splashes in the world, and I want to be there with him, every step of the way.”

“Yeah, welcome to parenthood,” Noah chuckled. Rain then began to fuss. “Oh, I think someone’s hungry.”

“Well, hopefully, you didn’t steal all of his food,” Elisandra chuckled as she took him from Noah. She began to nurse him, holding Rain between her and Noah.

“With what you’re feeding him, I’m surprised he’s not ten feet tall.”

Elisandra sighed in bliss. “So, how is everything going on your end with Valon?” she then asked. Noah sighed as she did, but it was in misery.

“Not well. We keep trying to ease Valon into his old memories, letting them slowly return, but then the floodgates will suddenly open, and he’ll have a screaming seizure. We’ve used different ways to approach him and inform him without triggering a mental avalanche. We tried explaining the situation the moment he woke up, and it didn’t work. We tried not telling him anything at all, but he got suspicious and paranoid. We tried telling him everything, and he just freaked out and had a breakdown. We’ve tried removing our friends from the equation, wondering if their presence was having an effect, but found none. I’m here now because we’re trying to see if my absence will change the outcome.

The other night, we found him outside screaming and spasming. I assume he had gone out to take a leak and was gazing at the stars while it was happening, and that was all it took to send all of his memories rushing back. A couple days of ago, he had a psychotic break, and we found him trying to chew off his own arm like an animal in a trap, just to regain his magic so that he could get away.

I don’t even understand why he’s still trying to run from us, but it’s really taking a toll on Valia. Every time he crashes, she has to hear his screams, see his blood, and hold him still until we can suppress his memories again. We’re up to our eighth attempt. On humans, it normally took three tries at most. I don’t know if it’s failing because he’s an elf, or because this method simply can’t help someone process so much information.”

“Noah, you know what can help him, don’t you? The Star of Sylphtoria. What better to heal the mind of a broken elf than a holy nexus of elven light? I’m sure this has occurred to you. Why don’t you bring him here?”

“Part of it is because it’s a long journey, and I’m not sure how he’ll handle it. He could escape from us on the road. But there is something else, something I need to tell you, a secret Valia and I have been keeping.”

“What is it?”

Noah took a deep breath. “When we were on Kisara Island, Valon confessed that he was the one who told that succubus how to infiltrate Sylphtoria. It was part of some agreement between him and the Profane while they were trading in relics. He’s the reason she had the Hunter’s Moon Amulet. Everything that happened to you is because of him.”

Elisandra was taken aback by the news. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, accusingly. If not for Rain, she probably would have been shouting.

“It wasn’t my intention to keep it hidden from you forever. Valia and I agreed to wait until we had successfully captured him so he could make amends, rather than leave you to wait in limbo and anguish for us to bring him to justice. I am not a moral man, Ellie, but I don’t want to bring him back here without your informed consent. I have every intention of making Valon repent for what he’s done and right his wrongs, to rectify his crimes against you, but only you can decide how he does that, and on behalf of Valon, Valia, and myself, all I can do is beg you for leniency. I will not ask you to forgive him, only to give him the chance to earn your forgiveness.”

Elisandra got up from the bed and began to aimlessly pace, still with Rain in her arms. She kept her back to Noah, lost in thought as everything he told her sank in. He remained in bed, waiting and watching her, wondering what her decision would be. Finally, she turned to Noah, but rather than looking at him, she looked at their child.

“That unholy she-beast infiltrated my city, killing my subjects. She twisted my dreams and emotions, and assaulted and tortured me. One of the most painful moments of my life, I suffered at her hands because Valon told her how to sneak into Sylphtoria. And yet, as ugly as it might be, there is a truth that I cannot deny: if not for her, I would not have this beautiful, perfect child.

She pushed me towards you, and my heart, which had been sealed for ages, was finally opened. I got to experience longing, lust, and love, feelings I sacrificed in order to take the throne, and because of those feelings, the spirits of nature blessed us both with Rain. If not for that succubus, you and I would have passed each other like ships in the night, and I would continue to live my life alone and without an heir. I hate her, and I hate Valon for setting her loose on me, but every time I look at Rain, I feel… gratitude. Because of him, I got to fall in love with you and become a mother.

Bring Valon here. If the Star of Sylphtoria cannot heal his mind, nothing can. After that, the four of us will discuss reparations for me and this kingdom. I promise I won’t execute or banish him.”

Noah got out of bed and embraced her, trying not to crush Rain as he and Elisandra shared a loving kiss. “I’m truly glad I came to this world, not just because of Valia and Valon, not just because of my curse, but because of you, and this place that I can truly call my home.”

Until Noah’s teleportation spell could be used again, he was bound in Sylphtoria and wanted to enjoy every moment. He spent the rest of the day with Elisandra and Rain, both in the palace and the city. They decided to go for a walk, just the three of them, plus the guards hanging back. They traversed the bridges and walkways stretching across Sylphtoria, savoring the beauty of the peaceful city. It was autumn, so the days were getting colder, but here, the leaves remained as green as Elisandra’s eyes and refused to fall. Rain was swaddled and wrapped in a sling that allowed Elisandra to carry him hands-free, and he’d drift in and out of consciousness as they walked.

Everyone they passed would bow in reverence, and if allowed to approach, they’d fawn over Rain. Because of the low elven birthrate, babies were a rare blessing, and everyone wanted to see the newborn prince, but that wasn’t all. It was now common knowledge that the spirits of nature had sanctified Noah and Elisandra’s relationship. Noah, the man recognized by the spirits; Elisandra, queen of elves and oracle to the spirits; and Rain, his birth ordained by the spirits—to the elves, their family formed a holy trinity.

They arrived at Sylphtoria’s cathedral, a massive building above the forest floor, constructed similarly to the palace by weaving trees together. Like all cathedrals, it had beautiful stained-glass windows, and Noah recognized Hoapfa’s handiwork. Elves weren’t as fixated on collective worship in large buildings as humans were, so the cathedral was more about emulating other cultures and experimenting with architecture. Still, it had a priest, who promptly bowed when they arrived.

“Your Majesty! Aegasviel! Welcome!”

“Please, raise your head, Eben. We’re just going for a walk. I wanted to show Noah this place.”

“Still, I’m humbled to have the three of you here. Ah, little Rain. Every day with him in this city is a blessing. How tragic that he’d be born in such dark times as these, during the return of the Profane. At the very least, I’m sure he’ll grow healthy and strong, raised on stories of his heroic father fighting the demon menace. I suppose it is our responsibility to defeat the Profane quickly and decisively, so that children like him will only know of them through stories.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Noah stated.

Elisandra looked down at Rain and smiled, then back to the priest. “Eben, might I ask you for a small favor?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll do anything you need.”

“Noah and I, could you marry us, right here and now?”

This shocked both Noah and Eben.

“Your Majesty, you want to be wed right now? At this very moment? But preparations need to be made for such a remarkable occasion! Here, in an empty church, is not how the queen of the elves should be wed!”

“I thought we were going to do it after the war, when we’d have Valia with us,” said Noah.

“We can have a big, ostentatious ceremony when the fighting is done, inviting all of the nobles and our friends, but I don’t want to wait that long to be able to call you my husband, and for you to call me your wife. I have lived for over a thousand years, but when it comes to you and Rain, I have no patience. I want everything, and I want it now. And as much as I miss and adore Valia, when it comes to my wedding night, I want you all to myself.”

Noah smiled. “All right. Let’s do it.”

“Eben, if you would please?” Elisandra asked.

“Your Majesty, are you sure about this? You really don’t want anyone else in attendance for this event?”

Elisandra looked down at Rain, who was gazing back up at her with the same beautiful green eyes. “We already have everyone we need.”

“Then if that is your wish, I would be honored to unite you both. Please, step this way.”

They followed Eben to the altar at the end of the cathedral and stood before him. Eben recited an Elvish wedding prayer, but kept it to the bare-bones version. Noah held Elisandra’s hand as Eben spoke, and when they were asked the key question, they both said, “I do.”

“Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now embrace and seal the oath of your love.”

With Rain held between them, Noah and Elisandra leaned forward and kissed. Though her decision had surprised Noah, he agreed with her. The moment felt right, and tomorrow was not guaranteed in this world. Why wait when they already knew they loved each other? With Elisandra clutching Noah’s arm, the two newlyweds returned to the palace. There, Elisandra handed Rain to Noah.

“Here. Hold him for a moment, will you?” She then went to a cabinet and pulled out a small jewelry box, revealing two rings. One was decorated with diamonds and emeralds, and the other etched with the Sylphtorian sigil, like on Noah’s mantle. With a blushing smile, she returned to Noah. “These were the rings my parents wore when they got married. I think it’s only fitting.”

“Had I known what you were planning, I would have made the rings myself, but this certainly works. Shall I do the honors?”

“We both will.”

Elisandra took her father’s ring and gave her mother’s ring to Noah. He gently fit the ring on her finger, and she did the same for him. They kissed once more, then heard a knock at the entrance. Lour entered with an armful of documents. He had given Elisandra as much time as he could to spend with Noah, but there was always work to be done.

“My apologies for bothering you, Your Majesty, but there are some things that I need you to look….” He trailed off, spotting the rings they were both wearing. “My Lady, are those what I think they are?”

“My parents’ wedding rings, and they mean exactly what you think they do. We just returned from the church, visiting there as lovers, and returning as husband and wife.”

Lour seemed at a loss for words, looking both overjoyed and upset.

“Why… this is wonderful news! Still, I wish you had invited me, or at least told me beforehand.”

“I’m afraid it was a spur-of-the-moment decision when we arrived. No one was invited, and Rain was the only one to attend. We can have an extravagant ceremony after the war, but I wanted my wedding to be as simple as possible, to be about love rather than politics and royalty.”

“I understand.” Lour then turned to Noah and knelt before him. “It is only right to properly congratulate the groom. Congratulations, Lord Noah, King of Sylphtoria.”

“A human older than any elf, serving as king of the elven kingdom. These truly are strange times we are living in,” Elisandra mused.

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been declared a king, but never did it feel as right as it does now.”

“Since you chose to have a private ceremony, does that mean you wish to keep your marriage secret from the public for now?” Lour then asked.

“No. Our subjects deserve to know. You have the honor of spreading the news, Lour.”

Lour bowed his head. “An honor, indeed.”

He departed with his documents unread and unsigned. On a day like today, paperwork could wait. That evening, Noah and Elisandra dined together as husband and wife while listening to the festivity outside. Out in the city, elves were celebrating their marriage and the appointment of Sylphtoria’s king. Not too long ago, the idea of a human king would have shocked and outraged the public, but Noah had earned the adoration of the elves through his actions, from averting the Profane plague and saving Elisandra, to reclaiming Kisara Island, to crafting of the Star of Sylphtoria, and granting of an heir. His background also gave him added credence—an ancient being recognized by the spirits. Though his reign would be short-lived by elf standards, the mark he would leave on the history of Sylphtoria was beyond words.

Though elves were normally vegetarian, they ate meat on rare occasions, and the dishes at Noah and Elisandra’s table consisted of fish, bird, and other game, cooked to perfection with the finest greens and vegetables. The wine was the best in the kingdom, and the best that Noah had ever tasted, on par with his Knight’s Ambrosia.

“There is something I’ve wondered about you for a while now, Noah,” said Elisandra with a dreamy smile.

“Oh?”

“Do you think there are others like you out there? You say there are infinite versions of everyone in the multiverse. That must apply to you as well.”

“I’m sure there must be others like me out there somewhere, but I’ve never met any of them. I wish I could. I don’t just mean another version of me, but a completely different person who has suffered the existential pain of living so long in the multiverse, and repeatedly gone through the greatest highs and lows of a human life as I have.

My greatest wish has always been to break free of my curse, but if I had to settle for something else, I’d wish to meet someone who knew what it was like to be me. Or, I wish I could show someone my entire life, both the good and the bad that I’ve done. I want them to see every decision I’ve made, every sin and virtue, every mistake, failure, and success, and then, without condoning or condemning, to say, “I understand.” I have no need for praise, forgiveness, or sympathy, just… understanding. That would make me truly happy.”

“I think it’s natural for people to want to be seen for everything they are. We all have sides of ourselves that we keep secret, whether out of shame, guilt, or self-preservation, but we all wish for that perfect chance to drop the façade and be our true selves at our best and worst. I don’t think anyone who has ever said the phrase, “I don’t want to talk about it,” has ever truly meant it. They just felt that the stars hadn’t aligned for the perfect time to speak the secret they hold. In their minds, they’re going over what they want to say over and over again, picking the words they’d use to describe their experience, their feelings, their thoughts, their pain—everything. They do want to talk about it, but they’re waiting for the perfect time, place, and person.”

“Would you… be that person for me?”

Elisandra smiled. “I would not have married you if I didn’t want to be.”

After dinner, they retired for the evening, putting Rain in his cradle. The two proud parents stood over him, watching him sleep.

“He’s just so perfect, isn’t he?” Elisandra whispered.

“Yeah, he really is.” Noah then paused. “A long time ago, I had this idea that if I were to die soon enough after being born, perhaps that would break my curse. It basically became a challenge to see how soon after I was born I could commit suicide. I’d eat anything toxic I could get my hands on, crush my skull with the sides of my crib, look for anything sharp I could use to slice my throat, and so on. I eventually learned how to stillbirth myself through self-induced suffocation, dying before I was out of the birth canal. I had it down to a science, dying over and over again, trying to get ever closer to the point where my reincarnation would finally stop.

For a while, I completely lost count and time, keeping myself in a cycle where I would die mid-delivery, experience the blinding flash of reincarnation, just to end up once again being delivered and do it all over again. If not for that flash, it would have been impossible to know where one life ended, and the next began. I have no idea how many times I died that way, how many women I left sobbing over their dead babies, all because it hurt too much just to exist.”

Elisandra clutched his arm, caught between the horror of what he was telling her, the pain she could scarcely imagine those women enduring, and the sorrow she felt that Noah had been so driven to end this existence that he would resort to such drastic measures. She then realized that Noah was trembling, and looking down, she saw him gripping the corner of Rain’s crib so tightly that his knuckles were white.

“This has to stop. I need this to be my last life. I need this to end. I need you and Rain to be my last family, for this place to be my last home. If I keep reincarnating, then these moments will be buried under more memories and experiences, and you and Rain will just become another family I was forced to abandon and replace, and all meaning and joy will be stripped from the time we spent together. I need you to be my last because you deserve to be my last. It’s not enough to finally die. I want you two to be the last thing I see before I close my eyes forever.”

Elisandra embraced Noah, the two of them standing with their foreheads pressed together and their eyes watering. “We will. I promise you, you will have your peace. I will do whatever it takes to release you, dearest love. We will raise our son, and you will watch him grow to be a great man, and you can fade into old age knowing that you are loved and you did right by us. I will mourn you and my tears will drown this world, but I’ll be at peace, knowing that you are.”

From there, they moved to their shared bed to enjoy their first night together as husband and wife. They consummated their union, not with grunting, panting, and dripping sweat like they had that morning, but slowly and gently, like waves lapping at the shore on a windless day. They made love in a tender embrace, their kiss unending. Elisandra’s green eyes, filled with love, gleamed in the dark, while Noah’s, weary and blue, projected how grateful he was to be with her. They took their time, savoring every moment before finally falling asleep in each other’s arms.

 

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Curcio walked down the corridors of his lab, his arms folded behind him, lost in thought as his steps echoed off the obsidian-like floor. Those echoes blended with the cascade of sounds that churned in every corner of the ancient Enochian base. Fiends and ghouls were being mass-produced, with eager parasites applied to unwilling hosts, triggering cries of agony that tantalized the Profane administrators. His building legions were as powerful as their predecessors from the days of Somerset, having achieved the same level of power as naturalized Profane.

Despite his progress, the fact remained that he was still trying to catch up and recoup his losses of late. Between the battle of Colbrand and the raiding of Andromeda’s mansion, the Profane race had suffered so many casualties that they had briefly teetered on the edge of extinction. In time, his armies would be replenished, and new elites would rise among the ranks, and yet part of him wondered if there was any point in continuing.

What hope was there of victory? What were the actual chances that he, as the new leader of the Profane, could realize the dream of global conquest? Curcio was a scientist, a bookworm, someone best left to the seclusion of his work, not a ruler or warrior. He could not lead his troops in battle or build a kingdom of blood like Somerset planned. At this point, was he still making soldiers simply because it was the only thing he knew how to do?

This mad scientist, always so devoted to his work, frequently found his mind drifting to all those who had been lost. Aside from Helena, he was the last of the old guard, the last of the bygone era following the previous Profane War and the fall of Somerset. He was surrounded by his allies and kin, overseeing the repopulation of his race, and yet he felt, of all things, lonely.

It was a peculiar experience for Curcio, feeling his mind moving in such a sentimental direction. As a Profane, he always thought such emotions were unusual for his kind, something that only existed because they failed to be erased during the transformation. He had seen it in Helena, Andromeda, and others, but never experienced it himself until now, and that intrigued him as a researcher and scientist. He had never been one for socializing, even with his kin, preferring to devote his life to his work, and yet now, he was understanding what it meant to feel loss. This turn of events fascinated him. He wished he could start dissecting his own brain to see why he was feeling this way.

He was then shaken from those thoughts as a fiend ran towards him. “Lord Curcio, something is attacking us outside!”

“What do you mean ‘something’?!”

“I don’t know, sir! I have no idea what it is!”

Curcio grumbled in annoyance and hopped up onto the fiend’s shoulder with a tap of his foot. “Take me outside.”

He was brought up to the top of the lab, where the Wassengel had destroyed the upper portion that once stood. From here, Curcio had a clear view of the surrounding landscape, and the sprawling military camp built around the base to house the Profane legions. Shipments of victims, both monsters and people, were arriving without pause. Those that weren’t turned into the Profane were eaten, and the fiends had quite the appetite.

Curcio heard the ruckus before he saw its source. At the edge of the camp, a huge amorphous blob of darkness was fighting with his troops as it approached the dungeon crab. It looked like a giant mass of black worms that quivered and flared like a dark inferno. The blob raised itself off the ground with several limbs, and used its tentacles to grab the surrounding fiends and ghouls, pulling them into the fold to be devoured. The part of its body that could loosely be described as a head looked like a swirling whirlpool, from which a gluttonous snarl thundered.

Even from a distance, Curcio could sense its Profane essence, but for the life of him, he couldn’t identify this being. One moment, its power was greater than all of the Profane alive combined, godlike in its vastness and intensity, and the next, it had dropped down to the point that it was barely detectable, as if this monstrosity were on the verge of death. The Profane were instinctively compelled to work together for a common goal, yet the intruder was lashing out and devouring its kin without hesitation, with Curcio’s troops fighting desperately to avoid certain death. They attacked with dark magic, trying to banish the intruder, but whatever spell they used simply added fuel to the fire and engorged it further.

It continued its approach towards the dungeon crab, carving a path of destruction across the camp and leaving no survivors in its wake. Finally, it reached the base and launched itself into the sky like a geyser, heading straight towards Curcio. He jumped to the side, but the fiend that had carried him was instantly consumed by the shifting mass. It then surged down into the base like a black flood, with any fiend or ghoul that crossed its path meeting the same fate as all of the others.

Curcio chased after it, trying to come up with some kind of plan to fight this monstrosity, or at least identify it. The strange thing was that it seemed to know precisely where it was going. It was heading for the base’s magic reactor, which powered the ancient Enochian lab and allowed it to travel. Curcio had already corrupted it to make it suitable for Profane endeavors, which he suspected was the reason why this creature was after it. It was being drawn to the largest source of Profane energy it could find, but there was no telling what would happen when it arrived. If it, in its greed or hunger, destroyed the reactor, Curcio’s ability to cultivate new parasites and grow his armies would slow to a crawl.

He heard the vault door to the reactor being ripped off its hinges, and when he arrived, followed by his fearful troops, he found the reactor chamber had been taken over. It was a huge, donut-shaped chamber, with a pillar in the center. In the middle of the pillar was a large glass cylinder, in which a bolt of black lightning would have been arcing between two diodes. However, the chamber had been taken over, with the pillar now resembling a huge black tree with its roots and branches now stretching across the floor and ceiling.

As Curcio and his troops entered the reactor chamber, a wave of darkness filled the air. It wasn’t like a powerful burst of mana, but rather a projection of will and desire, one so malicious that both Curcio and the fiends instinctively flinched. Inside the glass cylinder, liquid shadow frothed and bubbled with various shapes swirling around within, like the tank was packed tight with all manner of bugs, worms, and crawlers, fighting for space. Even as a Profane, Curcio couldn’t help but shiver from the insidious aura in the air. He watched as a hand appeared and pressed against the glass, seemingly formed from the black fluid itself, like water freezing into ice, and within the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes began to glow.

“Once again, I find myself to be your honored guest, experiencing your wonderful hospitality.”

“Who are you?” Curcio demanded.

“Do I really look so different now that I’m no longer human?” the shadow asked mockingly.

“Ziradith Herald? How is this possible?” Curcio gasped.

“By the will of Zyrga, all things are possible. I am what you sought to awaken in Vandheim. I am Zyrga reborn. Your ritual failed to resurrect him, but in my most desperate moment, I offered him everything I am and everything I have, all so that he might give me the power to destroy this world. I offered everything, and, in turn, was given everything. I’ve returned now to show you the proper path, yet I wait for you to show me the proper respect.”

“Respect? Considering how many of my soldiers you devoured when you arrived here, I’m sure you can understand my hesitance to bend the knee.”

“You’re going to insult your god over some dead minions? The Profane have truly lost their way.”

“A god? You are merely a usurper, Ziradith. A true god would never be so weak.”

“Tell me, do I really feel that weak to you? I can sense your shivering. The Wandering Spirit wounded me, reduced me to this decrepit ghost, but you are right to be afraid, to fear for your life in my presence. Even in this weakened state, I am still a god compared to you.”

Curcio knew she was telling the truth. He could sense that something had been done to her, leaving her with just a fraction of the power she should have had, but under such conditions, he felt like her shadow was vast enough to eclipse the world in darkness. Inevitably, she would regain her powers, and though they were both still members of the Profane, he still felt uneasy about the prospect of her presence.

“What do you want?”

“I already told you that, remember? I want the destruction of Uther. That was my goal, my quest for vengeance for how I had been wronged; then Zyrga showed me that my desires can fit into a grander plan. I want to lay waste to this entire planet, to murder the world. I want to black out the stars and reduce the heavens to ash. I want to slaughter the gods and titans and erase all life and light from the cosmos.”

“That’s insane!”

“It’s the mission. You have all lost your way, and I am here to get you back on the true path of the Profane.”

“We’re supposed to rule the world, not destroy it!”

“Ragar spouted the same nonsense before I ripped him in half. Our purpose, our reason for existence, is simple: to bring about the end of the universe, one planet at a time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me, do you know where your power comes from? Really?”

Curcio wasn’t sure how to answer. The longstanding belief was that venom capacity determined someone’s strength. Even after Profane bestowed every drop, their power would not decrease. However much they received when they were turned would determine how powerful they were, but he had a feeling that wasn’t the answer Ziradith was looking for.

“The fact is that our power, our true power, comes not from how much we eat, how wicked we are, or how much venom we have, though they do have an effect. They are the soil, the water, and the sun that grows our strength, but the seed of our power, the very core of our strength, is our soul, the very first thing that changes when we are turned. There are many variables that affect how powerful we Profane are, but ultimately, we do not generate our dark energy; rather, we receive it.”

“Go on.”

“Cursed Earth. It’s more than just a spell to increase your abilities and weaken your foes. It is our means of conquest. Once an entire planet has been corrupted with Cursed Earth, and all life forms either dead or turned, it undergoes a metamorphosis. The planet becomes what is known as a Dark Star, a source of Profane energy. The power of every Profane comes from these Dark Stars, yours included. A demon like Zyrga will land on a fresh world, a world of life and light, and go on to corrupt it. It will amass peerage and armies and conquer the planet, turning it into a Dark Star.

All the power of the lesser Profane will be harvested and transferred to the demon’s peerage, turning them into demons, who will set out into the universe to find new planets to conquer, expanding the network of Dark Stars and bringing the universe to its destined termination. Zyrga’s home world was conquered by such a being, and Zyrga, for faithfully serving the will of the Profane, was transformed from a lowly servant into a mighty demon and sent here to repeat the process. After he was defeated by the Enochians, the true purpose of his mission was lost and forgotten.

Somerset took the power of the Profane for himself from Zyrga’s remains, but did not know what that power was meant to be used for. He set out to create a kingdom of blood, desiring to rule this world instead of destroying it. You all carry power you do not deserve, wielding it for petty, selfish reasons, but I am here to turn you into TRUE Profane. Ragar failed to understand this, blinded by pathetic sentiment, and was suitably disposed of, but you? I have higher hopes for you.

So, tell me, Curcio. Do you wish to die as an insignificant dwarf ghoul right here and now, clinging to the pathetic dream of ruling this backwater spit of rock in the vastness of the cosmos? Or do you want to rise up, reaching the same level of power as Zyrga himself, and step out onto the universal stage to devour all of creation?”

Curcio knew that he would die if he answered wrong. Like Ziradith said, she was undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in the world, even in her weakened state, and would grow infinitely stronger so long as she was given the time and nourishment she needed to recover. This was completely different from the grand plan of Somerset and the other Profane leaders, the plan that Curcio’s allies, predecessors, and subordinates had fought and died for. What would they have done in his shoes? How would they react to this revelation?

The fact remained that without Ziradith, he had little chance of victory and world domination. He was one of the few remaining natural Profane, and no matter how much he tried to close the gap with his parasites, he could never hope to lead his race like Somerset had. Besides, he was a researcher, seeker of truth and knowledge. Though he spent his life cooped up in his lab, to settle for this one world, when he was being offered the universe itself,