Night eyes were closed, but he was clearly conscious , he looked really injured but luckily someone helped him dress his wounds.
He opened his eyes.
Everything felt stuffy. When he looked around, he found out that he was in an enclosed space. His body felt unusually heavy, weighed down by exhaustion.
He was tired—more than he had ever been before. As memories slowly returned, one thought echoed in his mind: how did I get here?
With effort, he stood up, every movement left him aching. Close to where he had been resting he saw his chronicles, stuck carefully into the ground, the Lamenting Edge and the black sword. Nearby, he heard the faint crackle of fire, someone must have helped me. He walked through the narrow cave passages, unsteady, until he saw her.
A lady sat resting against the wall. Her hair was black, just like her armor. But her armor was broken, its design intricate but worn. It looked too damaged to be a Chronicle.
Her eyes were darker and lifeless, she had the expression of someone who had given up on living a long time ago.
[Night's POV]
"Who are you"
The silence became deafening, i felt weird for asking a question like that so i changed the topic.
"Thank you for saving me"
I wasn't waiting for a reply , but still ...
A weird chill filled my body, our eyes met. She stood up and walked away.
She stopped and said:
Leave when your ready.
Hearing that, night felt the chill soften. His body ached more than before, he sat back down, and before he knew it. He fell asleep.
---
When night woke up, the fire was out, the pain had subsided but it was still had to move. He forced himself up, and looked for the exit. Looking around, he found a tunnel on the other side of where he was, using the walls as support he successful got out of the cave.
Night covered his eyes, the sun was fully out. There were less trees and the ground was slightly rocky and elevated. He knew he had seen this place before but couldn't remember where. Trying to remember, he saw a familiar sight. amidst all the cover of trees, the sea stood out, and as well as the weird veil rising into the sky, it was still very far, but it was closer than where he'd seen it before.
He was at the mountain range, but how, just until....
Night paused, he had no idea how long he was unconscious which meant , it was impossible for him to have reached this far himself. She must've brought me here.
But the question was, who was she?
Night got down, and entered the path to the forest, his stomach grumbled as a sweet scent filled his nose. There was a grape bush, the grapes were bigger than the usual ones he knew about.
He was about to pick one, but then a voice came out of no where, a cold and Dreadful.
"Don't eat it, if you don't have tolerance to corruption ".
Night looked around about to summon a chronicle. It was just her. She walked past him and picked one. The moment she bit into it, a strange feeling filled the air. It was the same one he felt anytime he slept here or killed a spawn.
His stomach grumbled again, the sweet scent made it even more irresistible. Without thinking, he grabbed one, he bit into it. His lips were painted blue, it was sweet but a strange feeling filled him to his heart.
His heart tightened, it felt like it would burst at any moment. But then , the hex's voice echoed in his mind:
[Absorbing Residual energy]
[Your flame grows darker]
[Your body is greatly weakened]
Although they were delicious, he couldn't risk them anymore, just one was enough to course that feeling. It was dangerous but the risk was worth it. Just like what he had learned in the academy, the scape is full with corrupted aen flowing in every part, it made sense for it to be a waste land. But in a place like this, where multiple trees tower in the sky, it meant, either the trees itself were flowing with corrupted aen or the concentration of it was low.
Night felt his wounds ache, the cloth used to close his wounds were covered in blood. He couldn't risk it again. Night returned back into the cave.
Lying on the sturdy walls of the cave, he felt his wound bleed out.
---
The sunset, filling the air with cold that the darkness brought. Night laid down, sleeping on the cold grounds in the cave covered with a blanket made of moss.
Despite the intense cold, he was sweating. He was practically shaking.
A voice echoed in his mind, one which he hadn't heard in a while. Its voice was full with disdain, as it spoke, night shaked in pain, consumed by guilt. It said;
"Its funny, isn't it"
"how you think you've changed,
that you can run from the guilt.
You really think that you being alive is good. Its the only the chance to make you suffer.
You don't deserve it.
Anything in fact.
Nothing as changed, either you now or before".
Night woke up, the sound of rain drops echoed out loud . Without even getting in the rain, he was already drenched in sweat. His eyes were filled with guilt;
"It was only a dream"
Saying that made his heart tighten.
Night got up, and headed for the exist. Rain splashed on his face as he stepped out. Memories which looked like they were forced together flashed through his eyes, and each time they did..his hand tightened.
"Why can't i remember, when will this end."
Out of nowhere, numerous engulfing presences entered his range. One, two, three...night stopped counting the moment he reached eight. A familiar yet slightly different sound echoed in the air.
"Weeping Sirens, twilight horrors"
He barely managed to kill one, but still clearly trying to survive the aftermath of the fight, how was he.
Something lunged at him.
Mist shrouded his sight in an instant. And when he thought it was the end. She lunged out of the cave.
The mist, cut in half by her blade, she moved quick and inhumane. Each time she moved, a siren died.
The rain was dyed in red blood. It wasn't a battle, but one sided massacre.
The only thing he could say was...
"WHO ARE YOU"
She paused and looked at him. Night couldn't move, fear gripped his chest tight.
She finally said something, her voice echoed in the hair as the rain stopped.
"Sylvia.....the cursed immortal ".
Runes appeared before him as the hex echoed in his ear
[Your Aspect's Path has been unlocked]
[You have discovered the path to become the ???]
[You have unlocked ??? Path]
[A task has appeared]
[Become the disciple of the Cursed Immortal and learn her battle art]
[Reward: partial unlock of your first art ]