Three months passed in a blink. The morning had arrived for Eiden to conclude his stay at the Whitecrest village.
"Eiden! Be safe!" "Eiden! Visit again soon!" "Eiden! Be careful!"
Voices overlapped as villagers crowded the open stone gate to shout their farewells. Behind Eiden, the path stretched toward bright white trees and shimmering grass. He raised a hand, a soft smile touching his lips.
"Everyone, please. I will return soon. Perhaps in a few decades—who knows? Just know that I will return. My friends and I have an objective to complete, so we must go."
A final wave of farewells erupted. Sienna approached with Yami close behind. She cupped Eiden's face and kissed his cheek, her voice a soft, worried murmur. "Be careful… and do not get yourself killed out there."
Eiden's eyes softened. "Do not worry, Mother. I will not let myself get killed… again."
"Eiden, come on. We need to move," Selyndra called. She, Iris, and Vaelus were already stepping through the gate into the sea of white grass.
"I'm leaving now. Goodbye, Mother. Father." Eiden turned and hurried after the group.
"Just make sure to be careful!" Yami shouted, his palm glowing with aura as he sealed the stone wall shut.
Inside, the villagers drifted back to their routines. "It still feels like his presence is here," a woman whispered, hand over her heart. "Yeah," another giggled, "it's like he's everywhere."
Outside the walls, the quartet trekked through the grass, their boots crunching softly.
"The walk to his mansion will take nearly a month," Selyndra noted.
"A month?!" Iris gasped.
Vaelus snickered. "Gonna be a hell of a walk."
"That's the time on foot," Selyndra continued. "With horses, it would be days. We'll walk for a few hours and hope for a village. If not, we find a cave."
"Yeah, no," Iris muttered, annoyed.
Selyndra glanced back toward the village. "It's strange, Eiden... I can still feel your presence there. Like another version of you is still standing in the village."
"Honestly, I was thinking the same thing," Vaelus added.
"I feel it too," Eiden admitted. "But I am not sure how that is possible."
Selyndra gave him a knowing look before turning forward. As they stepped onward, the world shifted. The white flora vanished, replaced by lush green fields and trees where small animals darted through the brush. They didn't react; they simply kept walking.
Hours later, the road was quiet, filled only by the rhythm of footsteps and the occasional chirp of a bird.
"It is so hot!" Vaelus groaned.
"I hope we find a village soon," Iris added, fanning herself.
A man in a brown cloth outfit, his messy hair falling over his eyes, rode up beside them in a wagon pulled by an old horse. He tugged the reins. "Hey there, fellas. Need a lift? There's a village nearby."
Selyndra didn't hesitate, climbing into the back. The others followed, and the wagon began to roll. A cool breeze brushed past them, a welcome relief as the wooden wheels clattered against the dirt. They drifted into a gentle silence as the world passed them by.
As sunset approached, they rolled into a small village tucked between fields and lantern-lit paths.
"Well, here we are!" the man said. "If ya need a room, talk to the woman at the bar."
The four climbed down. "Thank you for the ride," Iris said with a polite nod.
They entered the bar, and the soft chatter inside died instantly. Dozens of eyes locked onto them. Eiden stepped forward, approaching the woman behind the counter. She wore a brown apron, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she scanned him like a crow spotting a shiny coin.
"Well, hello, handsome," she purred. "What can I get ya?"
"A room for four," Eiden said, cutting her off.
Her eyebrow shot up. "I only have two rooms open. They're upstairs. Clean sheets, working locks. Three copper coins." She slid two keys onto the counter and leaned in, her voice dropping to a tease. "But if ya don't have the coin... you and I could figure something out."
Selyndra stepped forward, tossed three copper coins onto the wood with a sharp clink, and grabbed the keys. She placed one firmly in Eiden's palm.
"Iris and I will take a room to ourselves," she said, her tone calm but territorial. She led Iris upstairs without a second glance.
The barkeep clenched her fists. "Bitch," she muttered.
Vaelus slung an arm around Eiden's neck. "Come on, dude. My legs hurt." He took the key and headed up, with Eiden following quietly.
Inside the room, they found a single small bed, a curtainless window, and a wooden table.
"Uhhh... I could sleep on the floor," Vaelus offered.
"It is fine. We can share," Eiden replied. He set his blades and grimoire on the table. He moved with a strange, fluid speed; before Vaelus could even ask when he'd changed, Eiden was barefoot in a black sleeping robe, tossing a green one at Vaelus's head.
Vaelus undressed and slipped under the covers, turning his back to Eiden. The room dimmed as the moon rose. Eiden eventually slid under the covers into the cramped space.
Vaelus growled. "Could you stop moving? It's already tight."
Eiden didn't answer. Instead, he shifted and slid an arm under Vaelus's neck, gently pulling him closer. The bed no longer felt cramped. Their shared warmth filled the space. Vaelus felt Eiden's chest against his back, his arm heavy and steady around his waist. Neither spoke. They drifted off into the quiet.
The next morning, Vaelus woke sprawled across the bed. Eiden was gone. The table was empty of weapons and books; only the key remained.
Vaelus sat up, then froze, feeling a sudden, awkward tension in his pants. He covered his face with both hands. "Oh gods..."
He eventually headed downstairs and slid the key onto the counter. The woman behind the bar pointed lazily toward the door. "Your friends are outside."
Eiden, Iris, and Selyndra stood waiting beside four horses.
"Took you long enough," Iris said. "We bought horses from a nearby stable. If we ride hard, we can reach Morvath's castle by tonight."
Eiden sat atop a black horse, Iris a brown one, and Selyndra a white mare. Vaelus climbed onto a reddish-furred stallion.
"Let's go," Selyndra said, flicking the reins.
They galloped out of the village, hooves thudding against the dirt.
"Heh. Who picked my horse?" Vaelus asked. "It's my favorite breed."
Iris slowed to match his pace. "Eiden. He picked all our favorites. He never used to care about that kind of thing."
Vaelus watched Eiden's back as he rode beside Selyndra. "He has changed," he whispered.
"Yeah," Iris smirked. "His attitude, his focus... everything."
The world unfolded before them as they rode. They passed villages where elders fainted at the sight of them. They galloped past fields of flowers where deer grazed under the warm sun. They passed a half-collapsed watchtower with moss-covered veins, abandoned merchant carts buried in the earth, and shrines of stacked stones.
They rode past golden wheat fields where farmers paused to stare, a ruined windmill creaking in the breeze, and a small creek where children splashed. A distant, hazy silhouette of a castle appeared on the horizon. The land itself seemed to hum, acknowledging the return of the First Divinity.