Dyea's POV
The wind blew across the scorched stone, carrying the last whispers of his presence.
Maxul was gone.
Just like that.
The silence left in his wake was unbearable. It pressed into my chest like a blade.
I stared at the empty space where he had stood.
Part of me still couldn't believe it was real.
He was alive.
But he wasn't the Maxul I remembered.
I felt my legs start to tremble again.
Not from grief this time... but from something worse.
Doubt.
Beside me, Narren was silent-his sword still at his side, his expression unreadable.
The same Narren who had vanished without a word all those years ago.
The same Narren who'd stood between me and death more times than I could count.
The same Narren I had almost killed minutes ago.
"I..." My voice cracked. "I never wanted to see him like that."
"I know," he said quietly. "Neither did I."
I turned to him slowly.
His face was bruised from our earlier fight.
His eyes held guilt-but deeper than that, something colder.
Fear.
"Do you think he meant it?" I asked.
"That he'd kill us?"
He didn't answer right away.
"I think... the part of Maxul we knew is still in there," he said. "But it's buried under something darker."
He looked at me.
"We have to stop him. Whatever it takes."
I wanted to say no. I wanted to say not again.
But deep down, I already knew it too.
We didn't have a choice.
I took a shaky breath and nodded.
Then, I looked out over the ruined temple courtyard.
The light from the twin suns was beginning to fade.
The shadows were growing longer again.
And I knew-this was only the beginning of something far worse.
"I... I'm sorry for slashing my sword at you," I whispered, my voice barely holding together.
"I just... I was hurting. I didn't know what else to do."
Narren looked at me for a long moment. His eyes held no anger. Only understanding... and something softer beneath it.
Then he nodded.
"It's alright, Dyea," he said quietly. "I understand."
For a moment, we just stood there-neither of us speaking. The air between us was heavy, but still.
His gaze didn't leave mine.
Then, slowly, Narren reached out.
His fingers brushed against my cheek, and I froze-not from fear, but from how gentle it was.
He wiped away one of the tears I hadn't realized was still falling.
I didn't look away.
Neither did he.
"I never wanted to hurt you," I said, barely louder than a breath.
"I know," he replied.
And for a second... the ache in my chest didn't feel so heavy.
I looked at him-his face, his eyes, his silence-and something inside me cracked wide open.
The words trembled out of me before I could stop them.
"You know... I-I really meant what I said," I whispered, my voice shaking.
His brows lifted slightly, eyes still locked on mine.
"I really... l-love you."
The world seemed to stop.
The wind stilled. Even the fading suns seemed to quiet above us.
I held my breath, waiting for him to flinch. To pull away. To say nothing.
But he didn't.
Then, he smiled. Just a little.
Not forced. Not sad.
Just real.
"I know, little idiot... I know."
The words hit harder than I expected.
Warm. Soft. Familiar.
Like something I hadn't realized I'd been waiting my whole life to hear.
I let out a shaky laugh, and the tears came again, but this time, they didn't hurt as much.
Then he stepped closer.
And gently... he pulled me into his arms.
No magic. No swords. No more walls between us.
Just the two of us. Finally. After everything.
His arms wrapped around me gently-like he was afraid I'd break.
And maybe I would've, if it weren't for this.
For him.
I let my head rest against his chest, closing my eyes for a moment. I could feel his heartbeat.
It wasn't steady.
Neither was mine.
But in that moment, we were real. Not warriors. Not ghosts of the past.
Just Narren and Dyea.
Just us.
I didn't move when I spoke, my voice barely more than a whisper.
"Can we just... be friends?"
I swallowed hard.
"Try to start over?"
There was a pause. A heartbeat's worth of silence.
Then I felt his arms tighten just slightly around me.
"...Yeah," he said softly. "I'd like that."
But before we could speak more, someone called my name.
"Lady Dyea!"
I turned quickly, pulling away from Narren just slightly.
A man in silver armor ran up the path toward us, his cape fluttering behind him.
"Henry?" I asked, blinking.
He bowed quickly, out of breath.
"Lady Dyea! Forgive me for interrupting your time, but-" he glanced at Narren briefly "the village elders are calling for you. And... you as well, Sir Narren."
I looked at Narren, surprised. "Wait... you too?"
He shrugged, almost casually. "Hm. I guess so."
Henry straightened, more serious now.
"There's no time to waste. The message was urgent."
He stepped back and gestured toward the path.
"Let's go, my Lady Dyea. Sir Narren. We are to leave immediately."
Narren and I exchanged a quick glance.
Whatever peace we'd just shared-it would have to wait.
The council hall was colder than I remembered.
Stone pillars towered into the misty ceiling above us, and torches flickered against the carved walls. At the center of the chamber stood a massive round table of blackened oak, the Table of Virell, once used to plan battles during the war.
Now, it was surrounded by seven cloaked elders, their faces weathered by time, magic, and loss.
Henry bowed as he led us in.
"Lady Dyea and Sir Narren, as requested."
The eldest among them, Elder Caelis, known for his ice-white beard and glassy blind eyes-spoke first.
"You've seen him, haven't you?" he said, voice like creaking wood.
I hesitated. "You mean... Maxul?"
Another elder leaned forward. Elder Sivan, the youngest among them, but no less intimidating. "He came back. After twenty years of silence. But not as he was."
Narren's expression darkened. "He's changed. Twisted by something unnatural. He warned us... something's coming."
The room fell silent for a moment. The torches dimmed slightly-as if even the flames were listening.
Then Elder Caelis reached beneath the table and placed something onto the wood.
It was a stone tablet-cracked, ancient, and etched in red.
The writing wasn't in Dynirian.
But I recognized the shape of the runes.
"The Lost Prophecy," Elder Caelis said. "The one hidden during the War of the Moons. We never thought it would resurface."
Narren stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "What does it say?"
Sivan looked between us.
"A shadow once broken shall rise again.
A flame once lost shall turn to ice.
When the bond of four is severed,
The fifth shall awaken...
And all of Dyniris will kneel or fall."
My heart stopped.
The bond of four... Maxul, Trixie, Narren... me.
Broken.
All four... broken.
Narren stepped back, like the words hit him in the chest.
"'The fifth'?" I asked, my voice dry. "What does that mean?"
The elders glanced at each other. No one answered.
Until Caelis finally spoke.
"We believe... there was a fifth connected to your bond. A child born of prophecy. Hidden. Forgotten. Or... still yet to awaken..."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Maxul's warning," I whispered. "He wasn't threatening us."
Narren's jaw tightened. "He was warning us about them."
The chamber felt smaller now.
Heavier.
As if the prophecy itself had weight, and it had just landed on my shoulders.
"The fifth shall awaken..." I murmured, staring at the cracked tablet.
"We've scoured the archives," Elder Sivan said, his voice sharper now. "For decades we assumed the prophecy spoke of an enemy. But what if it speaks of someone... connected to you four?"
"And now that the bond is broken..." Caelis added, "...the awakening begins."
Narren's voice was quiet, but firm. "Do you know who it is?"
The elders exchanged grim looks.
"No," Sivan answered. "But the signs have started. Earthquakes in the north. Creatures stirring in ancient forests. And just last week... a child in the village of Marellis began speaking in tongues. Runes we haven't used since the Fall of the Temple."
I tensed. "You think it's that child?"
Caelis shook his head slowly. "We think the child was a vessel. A mouth. The real Fifth is still hidden. But not for long."
A heavy silence followed.
Then one of the older women among the elders stood, her silver hair braided with charms. Elder Maeva, keeper of relics.
She walked slowly toward us and held out a rolled scroll wrapped in red thread.
"You are to journey to Marellis," she said. "And then beyond. Into the forgotten lands."
Narren raised a brow. "The Wastes?"
Maeva nodded. "If the Fifth truly awakens, it will begin there."
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.
The Wastes were cursed. Abandoned. Burned by ancient magic. No one who traveled there returned unchanged... if they returned at all.
Narren looked at me.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked.
I nodded slowly, gripping the scroll.
"I have to be."
As we made our way down the temple steps, Henry suddenly stepped in front of us.
"Lady Dyea," he said, standing tall, "may I ask something?"
I sighed. "What is it, Henry?"
"Can me, Ismuel, Arthur, and Harold come with you?"
Seriously?
"Really, Henry?" I said, raising a brow.
He looked sheepish. "We want to protect you. In case of... danger."
His eyes flicked toward Narren.
"Yeah," Ismuel added, stepping forward with his arms crossed, "as your friend, we have to protect you from harm... including someone."
His glare at Narren wasn't subtle.
Narren just raised an eyebrow, unfazed.
"Agreed!" Arthur and Harold chimed in at the same time, standing beside Ismuel like loyal watchdogs.
I stared at all three of them.
"Really? You're forming a Narren Defense Squad now?"
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw stars.
Narren folded his arms with the smallest smirk. "Don't worry. I won't do a thing."
"Ugh, really Narren?" I groaned, glaring at him. "Are you just saying that so I have to say yes?"
He shrugged.
I turned back to Henry and his group.
"Fine," I muttered. "You guys can come."
Henry lit up like a fire crystal. "Yes! I..uh..I mean, yes, my lady!"
"Ugh, stop calling me that. Please."
As we stepped outside, another voice came crashing in.
Loud. Unavoidable.
Ugh.
"DYEA! I HEARD YOU FOUND NARREN!" a woman's voice shouted across the courtyard.
I froze.
Oh no.
Katleyn.
She came sprinting toward us like a storm with too much energy and absolutely no filter.
"Oh my Dyniris! Is that Narren?" she gasped dramatically. "The one you were always crushing on? The one with the..oh, what was it again? 'arms built by the gods and a voice that sounds like-'"
"OKAY! That's enough, Katleyn!" I cut in, my face already on fire.
She stopped mid-stride, grinning like a menace.
Narren, of course, looked way too pleased with himself.
Narren, of course, looked way too pleased with himself.
Meanwhile, the boys...
Henry blinked. "Wait. Crush?"
Arthur nearly choked. "On him?!"
Ismuel turned to me, wide-eyed. "You what?! You never told us that!"
Harold just stared at Narren suspiciously, arms crossed.
"Hmph. So this is the guy with the 'god-built arms.'" He air-quoted.
"I NEVER SAID THAT!" I shouted, covering my face in embarrassment.
Katleyn grinned innocently. "Didn't you though? I distinctly remember you saying something like 'If Narren ever came back, you'd-'"
"I swear on every moon of Dyniris, Katleyn, say one more word and I will personally throw you into the Mist Marsh!"
The boys were snickering like children now.
Ismuel elbowed Arthur. "Well, guess we're not the only ones protective anymore, huh?"
"Oh shut up!" I snapped, stomping off ahead down the trail.
Behind me, I could hear Katleyn giggling and whispering loudly, "Wow. Still blushing. Just like old times."
Narren, of course, looked way too pleased with himself.
Meanwhile, the boys...
Henry blinked. "Wait. Crush?"
He looked like someone had just stolen his sword.
Arthur's jaw dropped. "On... him? But I've been... I mean..wow."
Ismuel spun around dramatically. "So that's the real reason she didn't write back to my poem-!"
Harold just stared at Narren, scowling. "Tch. Muscles are overrated anyway."
I groaned, dragging both hands down my face. "Oh my Dyniris-you guys seriously?!"
Katleyn, already loving this, gasped with faux innocence. "Wait. You all like her too?! Oh my stars, this is even better than I thought-"
"KATLEYN." I hissed.
Ismuel crossed his arms and muttered, "Whatever. He's probably only got like two brain cells behind that smirk."
"He's brooding, not smart," Arthur added, nose in the air. "There's a difference."
Narren, still perfectly calm, just looked over and said, "Wow. Jealousy really is loud, huh?"
That made Harold snap.
"You wanna go, wolf-boy?"
"I'm not a wolf," Narren said with a smirk. "But I'll still bite."
"STOP FLIRTING WITH DEATH," I shouted, storming ahead of them all.
Behind me, I heard Katleyn absolutely howling with laughter.
"Ughhh, Dyea, this is why I never miss reunions."
Grrr...
Before I could even fire back at Katleyn, Narren was already behind me, silent steps, calm voice.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
I sighed, flustered. "Well, no. Just... don't mind what she said."
There was a pause. Then came his stupid smirk.
"What was it again?" he teased. "My arms are god-built arms, right?"
I groaned, hiding my face. "I never said that!"
"Mhm," he said, walking just a little closer.
"But you thought it."
I elbowed him lightly, face on fire. "Shut up, Narren."
He laughed, soft, quiet. Then, after a beat, his voice dropped low.
"You know," he said, almost like a secret,
"If I had known you were still waiting for me... I would've come back sooner."
My heart skipped.
I stopped walking.
But he didn't.
He just kept walking ahead, calm, steady, like he hadn't just shattered my entire soul in one sentence.
W-what?