The very place where the treaty between the Elves and House Noir was signed.
The Elf King had demanded to be buried with the treaty itself—
so his death would forever testify to their pact.
As soon as the name entered Valen's mind,
his senses snapped back.
He gasped, sucking in air.
He took one more step forward—
—and collapsed.
The world faded.
And the dreams began.
Valen's Dream — The Voice of the Dead
Valen stood in pitch darkness.
No sky.
No ground.
No sound.
Just an endless void.
He turned slowly, searching for anything—any trace of light, any breath of life.
Then a voice echoed through the black:
"Valen…"
His heart nearly stopped.
A voice he knew.
A voice he hadn't heard since that night.
Leon.
A faint shape appeared in front of him—
a figure materializing like mist gathering into a silhouette.
Valen's eyes widened.
"Leon…? Is that—really you?"
Leon's form stepped closer…
but as the fog thinned, the truth surfaced.
His once-bright knight armor was cracked, bent, covered in dirt and moss.
His sword was missing.
His skin had rotted.
Parts of his face had decayed.
His eye sockets—
empty.
Two black holes swallowing all light.
Valen's breath shook.
He reached out—
instinctively, desperately—
to hug him.
But his arms passed straight through.
Like grasping smoke.
Horror crawled into Valen's veins.
This wasn't Leon as he remembered.
This was Leon's unburied corpse, wandering as an unrested soul in the Silent Forest—
the forest where Valen left him.
Leon's hollow voice echoed:
"Why did you leave me there, Valen?"
Valen's eyes filled instantly.
"I'm sorry… Leon, I'm so sorry I left you.
You told me to run—but I should've stayed.
I should've fought with you.
I should've—been stronger."
Leon shook his head.
"I'm not talking about that."
Valen froze.
Leon's tone deepened—accusing, wounded.
"Why didn't you come back to bury me?"
"Why didn't you even send a letter to my mother… telling her I died protecting you?"
"Was I so worthless?"
The words stabbed straight through Valen's chest.
He raised his voice, choking on his breath.
"Never! You were my only friend!
I would've done anything for you!"
His voice broke.
"I wanted to tell your mother… in person.
But I couldn't.
I didn't have the courage.
I was weak… pathetically weak.
I didn't want her to see me—
like this.
I wanted to return stronger…
so she could at least say her son's sacrifice wasn't in vain."
He dropped to his knees.
"And I couldn't come to see your body…
because if I saw you like that—
I'd lose everything inside me."
"I'm sorry, Leon.
I'm still weak.
I'm reliving this again…
and I'm still the same weak fool…"
Valen stared at the ground, trembling, unable to meet the empty gaze of his dead friend.
Then—
A cold hand rested on his shoulder.
Leon's touch.
Valen looked up.
Leon's expression softened—no accusation now, only a faint, tragic kindness.
"I believe in you, Valen."
"You are stronger now… even if you refuse to see it."
"Go. Save your friends."
"Grow stronger still."
"And when all of your battles are finally done…"
"I'll be waiting for you… where I lay for my eternal rest."
His body dissolved into particles of silver ash—
blown away by an unseen wind—
until nothing remained but darkness.
Valen awoke with a desperate gasp.
His face was wet with tears.
He grabbed his chest, breathing hard, shaking,
as the echo of Leon's voice lingered in his heart.
( If you're enjoying Valen's journey, please add it to your Library — it helps a lot! )