Hope let out a quiet sigh, shifting slightly against the cool stone of the cave.
"Well…" He exhaled. "I also have a Title. And a True Name."
The moment the words left his mouth, he felt their reactions.
Even in the pitch-black cave, where they couldn't see his face, he could see them clearly.
Nefer's head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing in mild surprise. Massa blinked, lips parting slightly before closing again, thoughtful.
Hope knew why.
Titles and True Names weren't granted often.
The Veil wasn't generous.
The fact that he had both meant he was recognized—not just as another contestant, but as something more.
A variable. A force.
Something not meant to be ignored.
Hope sighed inwardly.
"I don't really know the significance of one," he admitted.
That was partially true.
He understood that Titles and True Names carried power, but he didn't understand why the Veil had given him the ones he bore.
It didn't make sense.
Not yet.
But whether he understood or not, the fact remained:
He had them.
—
"My Title is 'The Emissary of Darkness.'"
Silence.
Nefer and Massa didn't move, didn't speak.
Hope continued anyway.
"And my True Name is…"
He took a breath.
"'Child of Darkness, The Mad Son, Last Descendant of Darkness.'"
This time, the silence was heavier.
Tangible.
Even though Nefer and Massa couldn't see him in the darkness, Hope could see them.
And their expressions were telling.
Shock.
Confusion.
Wariness.
—
Hope waited.
They didn't speak immediately, which was expected.
His True Name sounded… ominous.
Maybe even disturbing.
He wasn't blind to that.
Still, he hadn't expected Nefer to be the first to react.
She nodded, almost as if… accepting it.
"Then it's a bit of luck we're together," she said simply.
Hope blinked.
Of all the responses he had imagined, that hadn't been one of them.
Luck?
Was she serious?
Hope exhaled quietly.
"I guess so."
—
But any thoughts of his Title or True Name were cut short by another, more pressing issue.
His stomach.
It growled in protest, the empty ache of hunger gnawing at him.
He sighed again.
"Can we make a fire and eat?" he asked, hoping for a positive answer.
But Nefer shook her head immediately.
"No. The light and scent will attract Veil creatures."
Hope grimaced.
He had expected that answer, but it still sucked to hear.
"Tomorrow, we eat," Nefer added.
Hope's stomach disagreed.
Tomorrow wasn't soon enough.
So, without another word, he pulled out his makeshift dagger, sliced off a handful of meat from their supply, and shoved it into his mouth.
—
Nefer and Massa couldn't see what he was doing.
But they could hear.
The faint scrape of metal, the soft tear of flesh, and then the rhythmic chewing.
Massa was the first to speak.
"How does it taste?"
Hope didn't even pause.
"Horrible. But better than nothing."
That was an understatement.
The meat was tough, bitter, with a metallic aftertaste that made his tongue curl in disgust.
But he was hungry.
And hunger didn't care about flavor.
"You want some?" he asked, offering a piece.
Massa shook her head so fast it was almost comical.
"No."
Her voice was firm. Immediate.
"I'll just go to sleep."
Hope let out a quiet chuckle.
"Suit yourself."
And with that, he continued chewing.
—
As the silence returned, Nefer finally spoke again.
"I'll take the first watch."
Hope stopped eating, eyes flicking toward her.
"No."
Nefer raised a brow.
Hope swallowed, then continued.
"I should."
Nefer's gaze remained on him, questioning.
"I can see in the dark," Hope explained, keeping his tone neutral. "It makes more sense for me to stand watch first."
That was true.
But it wasn't the real reason.
Hope had no intention of falling asleep yet.
Not with that dream still lingering in his mind.
Not when he knew that if he closed his eyes, it might return.
Nefer studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. Wake me when it's my turn."
Hope just hummed in response.
As Nefer and Massa settled in for the night, Hope sat near the cave entrance, dagger still in hand, eyes focused on the shifting darkness beyond.
His thoughts wandered.
His Title.
His True Name.
And the Veil's intentions.
There was something waiting for him in this world.
He just didn't know what.
Yet.