Cassandra's woodland was dense. Their canopies blocked out much of the sky. Light filtered through in fractured beams, painting the ground in shifting patterns of gold and shadow. The air was cooler here with the scent of moss, bark and distant water.
Veneri and Asenane walked through the forest and after a while, he began to sing. His voice rose unexpectedly.
"Under the stars so bright and wide,
We pitch our tents by the riverside.
Marshmallows roast on a flickering fire,
Stories unfold as the night inspires."
"Oh, camp away, through night and day,
With friends and laughs, we're here to stay.
Bugs may buzz, but we don't care,
Adventure calls in the open air!"
Asenane stared at her for a moment in mild disbelief. She never heard him sing before and honestly, it was good.
"Hiking trails with boots so sturdy,
Spotting deer, feeling wild and wordy.
Sleeping bags zip, the owls hoot low,
Dreams of mountains in the moon's soft glow."
"Oh, camp away, through night and day,
With friends and laughs, we're here to stay.
Bugs may buzz, but we don't care,
Adventure calls in the open air!"
There was something so absurdly wholesome about it that it almost didn't fit within the context of who they were. After all, they're Divine Beings.
Asenane huffed softly but she later joined in. Her voice entered on the next repetition of the chorus and it shifted everything. She carried the melody effortlessly, smoothing out the playful edges and turning the simple camping song into something almost theatrical.
Vastarael glanced at her. He understood the reason she had been chosen for a theater. Her voice carried emotion like a weapon. Even now, under open sky, surrounded by trees, she made the forest feel like an audience.
Veneri finished the verse with a flourish. Asenane clapped when he wrapped up the chorus for the second time.
"Is that a famous camping song or something?"
Veneri chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down beside her on the log.
"Nah, not famous at all. It's just this old camping tune I learned back when I was camping with..."
He froze for a second. It was like he was reaching for a memory that kept slipping away. He stopped talking, staring into the forest as if the surroundings might jog something loose.
"Hey, you okay? Did you just remember something?"
He blinked, shaking his head slowly. A faint confusion was evident in his eyes.
"Actually... no. I mean, I know the song inside out, every word and note, but where I heard it? It's gone. It feels like a blank spot in my head."
He forced a laugh, but it came out a little hollow, like he was trying to brush it off for her sake. She nodded, keeping her tone light even though a knot of worry twisted in her gut.
"Well, either way, it's a good song. Makes me want to roast something just to keep the mood going."
Inside, though, her mind was racing. Veneri was having these memory lapses more and more. It wasn't just annoying anymore. It was scary.
Just that morning, back at their place before they hit the road, he was making breakfast like usual but then he got lost in his thoughts out mid-stir, remembering some half-forgotten detail from ages ago, only to snap back and forget he had the stove cranked up high.
His Soul Energy flared up uncontrollably in that split second of distraction, superheating the pan until it started glowing red-hot. If she hadn't jumped in with a quick frost blast to cool it down, the whole kitchen could have gone up in flames. He'd laughed it off then too, calling it a "divine moment," but she could see the frustration in his eyes.
These glitches were getting worse and as much as she loved him, it terrified her. What if one happened during a dangerous situation?
But she didn't show it.
This trip was supposed to be about relaxing and forgetting the weight of their eternal existence for a bit. So she plastered on a smile and held his hand.
"Come on, let's stretch our legs. Who knows, maybe we'll spot some wildlife or find a cool spot to set up the tent properly."
Asenane glanced over at him as they walked, noticing how his eyes kept darting around, scanning the trees and the ground like he was on a mission.
"You looking for something?"
The path narrowed, forcing them to walk closer. He hesitated, then let out a breath.
"This might sound crazy, but I feel like I've been here before. Like, really been here. The way the trees bend just so, that cluster of rocks over there, it all feels familiar, you know?"
Asenane raised an eyebrow, but she kept her voice steady.
"How sure are you? On a scale of 'maybe I saw it in a dream' to 'definitely remember in my soul'?"
He stopped for a second, placing a hand on a moss-covered trunk as if testing its reality.
"I'd say 90% sure. You know how we Divine Beings are. Our memories are vivid, especially when it comes to places tied to danger or big events. We don't forget that stuff. This forest is screaming familiarity at me. The scents, the layout, even the way the light filters through the canopy. I just need that last 10% to click, like a puzzle piece falling into place. All I have to do is follow the—"
Suddenly, mid-sentence, Veneri's face contorted in agony. His knees buckled and he dropped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings, clutching his head with both hands. A groan escaped his lips.
"Veneri!"
Asenane was beside him in an instant, dropping to her knees and pulling him close. Her heart hammered as she tilted his face up.
His eyes were bleeding.
Thin rivulets of blood trickled from the corners, staining his cheeks like tears from a nightmare. His whole body was trembling. She could feel his Soul Energy spiking erratically.
"It's... migraine... intense..."
He was fighting it but the pain was winning. His hands pressed against his temples in as if he could squeeze the torment out.
"Hold on, I've got you!"
Asenane placed her palms on his shoulders, channeling her frost. The air around them turned to freezing levels instantly. Thankfully, it was working.
His body was glitching.
Parts of him flickered in and out like a messed up hologram. His arm would turn transparent for a split second. His skin rippled with digital static before turning back to normal. It was unnatural, even for them, and it sent a spike of pure fear through her.
Veneri bit down on his lip to stifle a scream but he held it back. He was stubborn as always, not wanting to alarm her more than he already had. The migraine peaked in a brutal wave, making his vision tunnel into black spots but slowly, it started to ebb. He panted heavily when it finally released its grip, slumping against her embrace.
"That was bad."
Asenane didn't let go. Her frost was still gently circulating to keep him stable. She watched as his Body Reconstruction kicked in automatically. The bleeding stopped. The blood evaporating like mist and his eyes cleared up. She cupped his face, searching his eyes for answers he didn't have.
"Veneri, talk to me. That wasn't just a headache. The glitching, the heat, this is getting worse. We need to figure this out."
He nodded weakly, leaning on her as he got to his feet.
"I know but not now. Let's just keep walking. Maybe it's the place triggering it. Or maybe I'm just losing my mind."
He tried to joke like usual but it fell flat.