The three of us sat around a small campfire by the edge of a lake near the Nyx Forest. The pale moonlight reflected on the water's surface, casting a calm atmosphere—almost enough to make everything feel normal… if only there weren't a war, collapsing dimensions, and a past that refused to stay buried.
Elena leaned against a tree trunk, a blanket wrapped around her. Her eyes were still distant, but no longer shrouded in darkness. Pieces of her memory were beginning to return.
"My name… is Elena," she whispered softly. "And you're… Ace, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad you remember."
She looked down at my hand. "When you touched me earlier… I felt warmth. Like… a light in the darkness."
Aurelia sat not far from me, combing through her red hair with her fingers. Her fiery orange eyes glanced toward Elena—not with anger, but with a quiet caution.
"She needs time to recover," Aurelia said at last. "And you… need to start choosing your path, Ace."
I turned to her. "What do you mean?"
She met my gaze, sharp and unwavering. "Between staying trapped in the past… or moving forward. This world won't wait for your heart to catch up. We're at war."
Silence fell. The campfire crackled gently, as if it too was holding its breath.
I stood up. "I don't know which path is right. But what I do know… is that I don't want to lose either of you."
Elena offered a faint smile. "You've always been like that. Trying to save everyone."
Aurelia rose too, eyes locked on mine. "Then prove it. In the capital, a trial awaits—one that will decide whether you're worthy of shaping the fate of this world."
> [Quest Update: Journey to the Capital – Valendria]
[Objective: Meet the Grand Council of the Elarian Kingdom]
Before sleeping, I stared at the sky. Deep down, I knew… I couldn't keep holding on to two hearts without breaking one.
But for now, I just wanted them safe.
And with me.