The sight of the carriage stationed outside the inn made my steps falter, my breath catching in my throat. The dim glow of lanterns flickered in the pre-dawn light, casting long shadows across the cobbled street. The scent of damp earth and morning mist clung to the air, mingling with the faint aroma of hay and oiled leather. The horses, their dark coats gleaming under the lanterns, shifted restlessly, their breath visible in the cold morning air.
I barely had time to process the scene before a flash of golden hair caught my eye.
"Noctis!"
Elaris's voice rang out, carrying across the empty street, laced with relief and something deeper—something raw.
Before I could respond, she was already moving, her steps quick and unhesitating. In mere moments, she collided into me, her arms wrapping around my torso as she buried her face into my shoulder. I felt her fingers clutch at the fabric of my coat, gripping me as if I would disappear if she let go.
"You idiot," she whispered against my chest, voice trembling slightly. "I was about to go looking for you."
I exhaled, lifting a hand to rest gently on the back of her head, fingers threading through the silky strands of her golden hair. "I know," I murmured, guilt coiling in my stomach. "I didn't mean to be gone so long."
She pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, her lavender eyes searching mine, as if trying to read the things I wasn't saying.
"You keep disappearing on me," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "One of these days, I'm scared you won't come back."
A lump formed in my throat. I couldn't tell her the things that weighed on my mind—the conversation with Veylara, the unshakable feeling of being watched, the creeping sense that my very existence was tied to something far more dangerous than I understood.
So instead, I tightened my grip on her waist, anchoring myself in the warmth of her presence. "I'll always come back to you."
Elaris studied me for a long moment, then sighed and leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to my collarbone before finally stepping back.
The creak of wood and the soft jostling of movement made me glance toward the carriage. The others were already getting settled inside, the weight of their exhaustion visible in the way they slumped against the cushioned seats.
Lucian sat near the entrance, his broken arm wrapped tightly against his chest. His normally easygoing expression was subdued, his sharp eyes flicking toward me as I approached.
"Took your damn time," he muttered, though there was no real bite to his words.
I smirked faintly, stepping up onto the wagon and settling into an open seat across from him. "Yeah, well, someone had to take a midnight stroll."
"Next time, bring a bodyguard," Alaria chimed in from the far end of the wagon, arms crossed as she studied me with a narrowed gaze. "Or at least don't act like some brooding lone wolf. We already have one of those, and he's got a broken arm."
Lucian scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm not brooding."
"Sure," Alaria snorted. "Whatever lets you sleep at night."
Gareth and Callen chuckled from their seats, while Rowan, as usual, remained quiet, simply adjusting the strap of his weapon with a passive look.
Elaris was the last to step onto the wagon, sitting beside me and immediately lacing her fingers with mine. I squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance.
The driver gave the horses a light flick of the reins, and with a lurch, the carriage began moving forward, rolling out of Luthadel and onto the road leading toward our next destination.
I leaned my head back against the wooden paneling, my gaze drifting to the sky.
The journey continued.
And something in my gut told me—this was only the beginning.
The road stretched out before us, winding through the golden fields of Evaria, the rolling plains bathed in the soft morning light. The sky was a deep, endless blue, the kind that seemed to stretch forever, unbroken except for the occasional wispy cloud drifting lazily across the horizon. The rhythmic sound of the wagon wheels against the dirt road mixed with the occasional creak of wood and the soft snorts of the horses pulling us forward.
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was quieter than usual. The air carried the weight of everything that had happened in Luthadel—the fight, the lingering tensions, and the unspoken truths.
Elaris leaned against me, her head resting on my shoulder as she absentmindedly traced patterns on the back of my hand with her fingertips. It was a simple gesture, but one that anchored me. I let out a slow breath, focusing on the warmth of her touch, the steady rhythm of her breathing.
Alaria, sitting across from us, kept throwing occasional glances our way, but for once, she didn't say anything snarky. Instead, she just looked… tense. Restless. Her fingers drummed against her thigh, and her emerald eyes flicked between me and the road outside, as if expecting something—or someone—to appear.
Lucian, despite his broken arm, still managed to look comfortable, one leg propped up as he leaned back against the cushioned seat. He had a smirk on his face, but it lacked his usual energy.
"So," he finally said, breaking the silence, "we ever gonna talk about the giant cryptid that nearly killed us? Or are we just gonna pretend that didn't happen?"
Gareth sighed, adjusting his glasses. "I think we all agreed it's better not to dwell on it too much."
"Not dwelling on things is how you end up dead, mate," Callen chimed in from beside him, arms crossed. "That thing wasn't just some monster. It knew what it was doing. And it knew Noctis."
The moment those words left his mouth, all eyes turned to me.
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know what it was," I admitted. "But… I don't think it was a coincidence."
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated. My mind flickered back to the whispers, the feeling of being recognized—not as Noctis, but as something else.
"It knew me," I murmured, half to myself. "Not just my name. Something deeper. Like it had been waiting."
A heavy silence settled over the group. Even Rowan, usually uninterested in conversations like these, was watching me carefully.
Elaris squeezed my hand, her lavender eyes searching mine. "Noctis," she said softly. "What aren't you telling us?"
Veylara's voice coiled through my mind then, a whisper against my thoughts.
"Careful, little seraph. Do you really want them to know? To fear you?"
I clenched my jaw.
"I'll figure it out," I said finally, shaking my head. "For now, let's just focus on what's ahead. The king's quest. The ruins. We need to keep moving."
Alaria huffed, crossing her arms. "Sure. Keep your secrets, prince charming. Just don't get yourself killed before I figure out what the hell is going on with you."
Lucian grinned. "She says that, but what she means is don't die, dumbass."
"I never said that!"
"Yeah, yeah."
The mood in the carriage lightened a little, even if the tension still lingered beneath the surface.
The wagon carried on through the fields, the sun rising higher in the sky. I leaned back, staring at the endless horizon, my mind still turning over the weight of everything I had learned.
The past was catching up to me.
And the road ahead… was only getting darker.
The journey continued through the vast golden plains of Evaria, the rolling fields stretching endlessly beneath the bright midday sun. The warm breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and earth, mingling with the rhythmic sound of the carriage wheels clattering over the dirt road. Inside, the conversation had drifted into more casual topics, but my mind was elsewhere.
I could still feel it—the weight of unseen eyes lingering on me. It was subtle, but after everything that had happened in Luthadel, I couldn't shake the sensation that something was lurking just beyond the edge of perception.
Elaris must have noticed my distracted state because she leaned in closer, her voice soft. "Noctis, you're somewhere else right now. Talk to me."
I turned my head slightly, meeting her lavender gaze. The concern in her expression was genuine, her warmth pulling me back from the abyss of my thoughts. I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. "Just thinking about what's ahead. The ruins, this whole journey. It still doesn't feel real."
She gave my hand a small squeeze. "It's real. And we'll face it together."
Alaria, sitting across from us, let out an exaggerated sigh. "Gods, you two are nauseating. Get a room."
Lucian, ever the troublemaker, grinned. "They do have a room. And from what I hear, they've been putting it to good use."
Elaris' face flushed pink, but she held her ground. "You're just jealous because you sleep alone."
Lucian clutched his chest as if wounded. "Ouch. Right in the heart. You wound me, Elaris." He then turned his attention to Alaria, giving her a cocky smirk. "I mean, unless someone wants to change that."
Alaria flicked a dagger from her belt with terrifying ease, spinning it between her fingers as she grinned at him. "Keep pushing, Varrow. See what happens."
The banter was light, but beneath it all, I could feel the tension still hanging in the air. Maybe they could feel it too—that nagging sense that something wasn't right. The unease that had settled in since Myra hadn't left us, and now, as we pressed further into Evaria, it only grew stronger.
Veylara's voice curled in my mind, her tone ever-silken. "You're right to be wary, little seraph. The road ahead is not as empty as it seems."
I resisted the urge to respond aloud, not wanting to draw attention. Instead, I pressed my thumb against my palm, grounding myself as I stared out the window.
The golden fields seemed peaceful. Too peaceful.
Then, suddenly, the carriage lurched to an abrupt stop, nearly throwing us all forward.
"What the hell?" Alaria snapped, grabbing onto the seat to steady herself.
Lucian was already peering out the window. "Uh… I think we've got a problem."
I didn't wait. I pushed open the carriage door and stepped out, my boots crunching against the dirt road.
The first thing I saw was the hoard of boars—massive creatures with bristling dark fur and sharp tusks, snorting aggressively as they blocked the path ahead. Their eyes gleamed with an unnatural sharpness, as if they were watching me rather than just reacting to our presence.
But it wasn't just the boars that caught my attention.
One of them—larger than the rest—stood near what looked like… stairs. A dark opening in the earth, partially hidden by the grass and the shifting landscape. The beast hovered near the entrance, its posture tense as if guarding something. Or perhaps… keeping something from coming out.
My gut twisted.
This wasn't normal.
I tightened my grip on my sword, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Something was waiting below.