Warm and inviting with the light smell of pine and rose. A large square living room was what greeted us, lighted by a warm glow that emanated from the ceiling, coating the entire room and furniture with a welcoming yellow.
"Whoa," Reilya muttered as she stepped inside, her head looking up. I tapped my boots outside before entering. Scanning the room, it looked clean. There was no dust on the walls or any cobwebs, nor any sign of deterioration.
"Enchantment?" I asked, turning to Reilya. She nodded and continued studying the ceiling. A complex constellation of runes, it looked familiar, though its meaning was lost to me, and my eyes wandered through the furniture and to a rectangular envelope sitting in the center of the large coffee table, tucked between a pair of leather couches.
It had no name or any writing to tell who it was for and who it was from. Sitting down on one of the couches, I glanced at Reilya. She was still focused on the ceiling, and I looked back to letter and tore it open.
'To Reilya.' It said, and I placed it back on the table before turning my neck back to her.
"There's a letter here for you," I said, and she nodded, her gaze still focused on the ceiling.
"Can I read it?" I asked, and again she nodded.
Shrugging and removing my coat and gloves, I picked up the letter and continued reading.
'To Reilya, if you're reading this now, it means that I have died and you've believed in my letter. With how the world is currently, it comes as no surprise. I lived my life well, and I would probably die fighting for what I believe, and since you're reading this now, it means you have followed in my footsteps. And in the afterlife, I could already hear the complaints from your parents.'
'You probably have a lot of questions, questions I would not be present to answer. But knowing you. You know which book to pick from my walls to find it. Infuriating as it is, if you live life as freely as me, you're bound to attract many jealous people. And as much as I like for you to be the only one reading this letter. That possibility is uncertain.'
'Nevertheless, I hope that this letter is read by the right person, whether they be a follower of Vanity or Sanctuary or a non-believer. I, however, believe that fate has led us to such circumstances. Whatever you do with this isolated haven is none of my concern. I'm dead after all.'
'Ps. There's dried meat, wine, and water in the basement, and extra beddings are in the second closet in the guest room. Gardening tools are up in the attic if you want to take up gardening again.'
'With Love – Your favorite uncle.'
"You did gardening?" I asked, turning my head. My heart jumped back. "h,how long were you there?" I cleared my throat and held the letter as a wall between our faces. "And you should probably read this."
She chuckled.
"Already did," Reilya answered, taking the letter and straightening her back. She sat down on the couch in front of me; her eyes focused on the letter.
"Fate, it's funny to think it all started just because of my uncle." She smiled as she spoke. "From Zyrex to Antirno, we've been through a lot, haven't we?"
"We sure did." My memories of when Railya and I first met were still vivid. "It was fun, I still can't believe how much time has passed."
"Three years of traveling and dealing with your recklessness."
"And three years of taking care of someone who's grossed out by mud." I countered.
"Fair." She said with a chuckle that slowly died.
…
The air fell silent, and for a while just stared at each other. She held her smile despite it.
"So, what now?" I asked the question that was plaguing both our minds.
"I've never really thought that far yet." She confessed. "With how things were going, I thought we would get caught by the inquisition or spend the rest of our lives searching for this place… Honestly, the village down south was perfect, and the people were nice to us. I'd even imagine that that's where my uncle wanted to lead me."
Her smile faded, and her expression changed to something I could read.
"But you always seem to do the impossible and now…"
"We're done," I said, finishing what she was going to say, but it somehow felt wrong.
"Done." She repeated, and a brief moment of silence fell. "So what are you going to do after this?"
The question had always lingered at the back of my mind, and the answer seemed obvious, and yet it felt like lying to myself.
"Taking another job."
"Where?" She sharply prompted.
"Probably just here in Antirno." A part of me wanted to say where exactly, but even lord Fenret did not tell me where, though she seemed relieved by my answer. "And you? You're going to continue studying here, right? reading to see if there are still other scholars of vanity out there. looking for evidence to prove the order's innocence."
"Yeah," Reilya replied and leaned back in her seat. "This is it, huh? I kinda expected more," She let out a sigh before continuing. "It's a bit anticlimactic after all the adventures we been through." She paused, flicking the letter back to her face.
"Hey," she suddenly spoke, tossing the letter to the table. "Why don't we have a celebration for all the time we spent together?" She stood up and offered an inviting hand. "Come on, if my two-year-old memory serves me right, I still know my way around this place."
"You could still remember that much?" I asked and followed.
"It's hazy, I suppose, but just walking around helps it's nostalgic." She said the word fondly. "What about you, got any memorable memories from your childhood?"
Memorable was not the word I would use to describe it. My memories of my younger self were clear, as if they happened yesterday, not because they were pleasant, but rather important. Though my vessel's childhood memories were pleasant.
"I do."
"Ohh?"
"What, you don't believe me?"
"It's the first time I'm hearing it."
"You never asked."
"I did, but you just kept deflecting."
…
"So, can I hear it, your fondest memory from your childhood?"
I told stories of a childhood that was never mine as we walked through the long hall. A story of a child with small ambitions to run their family's bakery and with grand ambitions to one day explore the world together with their friends.
Finishing the story, we arrived at the basement door and quietly descended its spiral stairs. The smell of herbs and spices flavored the air, and we were greeted by a store room full of shelves of a variety of dried meats. Some are hanged on strings, while others are placed in glass jars.
Passing by shelves full of rations, we made our way to the back of the room, where an iron-braced door waited. Opening the door, it revealed an elegantly furnished wine cellar. Complete with a dining table and cushioned chairs.
Skimming through the bottles, my eyes wandered to the back of the room, to the wall-mounted silver statue of a faceless mannequin, its hands cupped and supporting a large crystal sphere full of clear liquid. It felt smooth and oddly warm.
Pop!
The sound of an opened bottle echoed through the room, followed by the aroma of crisp berries.
"Are you going to keep staring at that artifact or celebrate?"
Turning back, I felt my lips smile at the sight of her holding out a full wine glass.
"To us." She said and drank before pouring herself a drink and offering it to me.
Taking the glass, our fingers touched, and I waited for her to pour herself another drink.
"To us."