Eternal Collapse
Chapter 3. Waldenheim
I decided to head toward the city. I didn't really have any other choice anyway.
On the way, I stumbled upon a path. It led straight down into the valley, so I followed it.
On this side of the hills, the greenery grew thicker and thicker. The closer I got to the valley, the richer and more vibrant the grass became. It felt as though I had left the hot Mediterranean coast and stepped into somewhere like the Alps.
After some time, I came upon ruins.
They were small — three standing pillars and one fallen, overgrown with grass. Unknown hieroglyphs were carved into the stones.
But that wasn't what caught my attention.
Right in the center of the ruins sat a girl.
With light-colored hair. Wearing a green jacket and skirt. She was carefully studying the hieroglyphs carved on one of the stones.
I approached her.
"Hi," I said, stopping behind her.
She flinched.
Yeah, sneaking up from behind probably wasn't the best idea. No wonder I scared her.
She slowly turned to me with a bewildered look.
"H-hello," she said.
I didn't know what to say. She looked embarrassed too. An awkward silence hung between us.
"Can I help you with something?" she finally asked.
"That would be nice," I replied.
And we fell silent again.
My mind immediately raced: idiot, what was that just now? How did you even answer? You already scared her, and now you're acting even weirder. Calm down.
"So, what can I help you with?" she smiled.
It seemed I was the only one panicking here. She looked completely calm.
I pulled myself together too.
"Do you live in the city nearby?" I asked.
"Yes. I study at Elander Academy," she answered. "You're not from around here?"
"Elander Academy?" I repeated.
"Yeah," she paused for a second. "You haven't heard of the Elander Magical Academy? It's one of the most prestigious academies on the entire continent."
Her eyes sparkled, and pride was clear in her voice. But then she quickly calmed down.
"First time hearing about it," I said. "Here's the thing… I barely remember anything. Looks like I've lost my memory."
I needed to explain the situation without revealing too much. And I couldn't think of anything better.
She looked at me in surprise, then slowly scanned me from head to toe.
"So, you don't know how you ended up here?"
"I don't remember anything at all. Except my name. My name is Vane."
Maybe it would've been better not to remember even the name. But I'd liked that word since childhood. Short. Simple. Convenient. If you think about it, it's not surprising — I've always liked everything compact and practical.
"I'm Sylvie. Nice to meet you," she stood up and offered me her hand.
"Likewise," I replied and shook it.
"Let me take you to the city?" she said.
"That would be great," I answered.
She picked up her satchel, and we continued down the path.
Along the way we saw more ruins. These were broken gates overgrown with grass. The stones around them were also covered in various hieroglyphs.
"Where do all these ruins come from?" I asked.
"They're remnants of a destroyed civilization," Sylvie answered. "There are many different ruins in the Valley of Winds because people have lived here since ancient times."
So, this place is called the Valley of Winds. Got to remember that.
"And what caused the previous civilization to collapse?" I kept questioning.
"Because of a magical war," she replied. "The two most powerful empires in the region started fighting each other. In the end both fell, and all that remained were small, fragmented counties."
"And which county does the Valley of Winds belong to?"
"The Valley of Winds belongs to Waldenheim. It's a city-state. That's exactly where we're heading right now."
And so, the whole way I kept asking her about everything.
As expected, this was a pure fantasy world, but with its own quirks.
…
After about an hour of walking, we reached the city walls. They were stone, about five meters high.
When we passed through the city gates, I couldn't help slowing my pace.
Waldenheim hit the senses immediately.
The stone walls behind us seemed to cut off the wild hills and flat valley, and ahead opened a completely different world — alive, noisy, saturated. The street we entered on was paved with rough stone polished by the steps of thousands of people. A constant flow of people moved along it.
Men in simple linen shirts carried sacks of grain on their shoulders. Women in long skirts argued with merchants at stalls. Soldiers in dark armor passed by. On their cloaks was embroidered the symbol of the city — a crossed sword and staff forming a windmill. Somewhere nearby metal clanged; a forge worked without pause.
Buildings on both sides of the street were two to four stories tall, with tiled roofs. Most were stone, but occasionally wooden ones appeared, and even some brick. People leaned out of windows; laundry hung on balconies. Signs hung above doors: taverns, shops, workshops. Some of them glowed with soft magical light.
We turned onto another street.
This one seemed to be lined with restaurants and street food. Smells hit the nose instantly: roasted meat, fresh bread, smoke, spices, and a multitude of unfamiliar aromas.
The city was very noisy.
Carts pulled by horses overtook us along the way. Wheels rattled over stone. Sylvie walked ahead confidently, as though she knew every street, while I simply followed her, unable to tear my eyes from the surroundings.
Somewhere between the buildings the river could be seen. I heard the splash of water and shouts of boatmen. In the distance, above the rooftops, rose a tall tower with a flag — perhaps part of the academy we were heading to, or a fortress. I didn't know yet.
We finally reached the academy walls.
"They don't let people in without a student ID," Sylvie said. "Wait here for a bit. I'll grab a few things from the dormitory and come back."
"Okay," I replied and stayed to wait.
As it turned out, not only humans studied at the academy. Among the students coming and going from the grounds, I noticed quite a few beastfolk, other magical creatures I didn't have the vocabulary to describe, and even one elf. This world looked like pure fantasy, as if copied straight from books.
After some time Sylvie returned. She had changed into a dress.
"Didn't get tired of waiting?" she asked with the brightest smile I had seen in my entire life.
"No. Where to now?"
"Let's find you a place to stay for the night," she answered.
"I hope it's safe here. I don't want to run into that scary demon again," I said.
"What demon?" she asked in surprise.
"I met him on the seashore. His body had two different sides. And he kept talking about some causes and effects," I replied casually.
Sylvie stopped.
I turned around.
She had frozen in horror.