Darkness…
“….up......”
Darkness…
“......wa....ke up.......”
Then light…
“....... up……”
The sharp sting of the forest, the cold bite of reality, faded, replaced by the warm embrace of familiarity. She found herself standing in a meadow, the grass beneath her feet soft and fragrant. There was a figure ahead of her, standing with her back turned.
Smells of wisteria and lavenders filled her senses. A very familiar combination. Almost too familiar…
“Mother?” Cordelia’s voice trembled, barely more than a whisper.
The figure turned. She stood in the sunlight, radiant, her face filled with a gentle, loving warmth. Her light chestnut hair moved slightly with the breeze, just like Cordelia remembered. But something about her seemed different now, almost ethereal, as if she were part of the light itself.
“Am I… In the Void?” Cordelia whispered again.
“......wa....ke up.......”
“Hello darling,” her mother’s voice was soft and soothing, the kind of voice that once brought Cordelia comfort after nightmares.
Tears welled up in Cordelia’s eyes. “Mother… We lost everyone. The Academy is gone… I— I don’t know what to do. I’m…”
Her mother’s expression didn’t waver. She took a step forward, her touch as light as the breeze on Cordelia’s cheek. "Shhh… Rest. Just rest."
“......wake up.......”
“I couldn’t save them… They all died,” Cordelia whispered, her voice cracking. “They’re all gone...”
Her mother’s hand settled gently on her shoulder, the touch both weightless and comforting. “This is not the end. Not yet.”
Cordelia’s heart ached, torn between the desperate need to stay wrapped in her mother’s warmth and the cold reality waiting beyond this moment. She wanted to remain here, to feel safe again, but as she reached out to grasp her mother’s hand, a shadow flickered at the edge of her vision.
“......wake up!.......”
The world around her began to shift, the meadow dissolving into darkness once more. And through the dark, a pair of glowing blue eyes emerged, piercing and bright, watching her intently. The outline of a massive creature moved slowly, its fur brushing against her, soft yet powerful.
Her breath hitched. Was this real?
Cordelia blinked, her vision wavering between her mother's peaceful image and the tiger's looming figure. Her mother’s voice echoed softly in the distance as the dream began to fade.
The tiger’s presence was overpowering now. Its massive form, coated in thick orange fur with those brilliant, otherworldly blue eyes, stared down at her. And then, with a soft growl, it turned away, leaving her once again in the darkness.
***
“Wake up!....”
Cordelia’s eyelids fluttered, the soft glow of firelight casting shadows on the walls around her. The familiar scent of earth and wood smoke filled her senses. She wasn’t in the forest anymore.
Her vision swam, blurring as she tried to focus on a figure leaning over her. Red hair. Green eyes. Slowly, as her senses sharpened, she saw the girl more clearly. Red hair fell gracefully over her right shoulder, and as she moved, a cuff earring in the shape of a dragon glittered against her left ear.
“Come on, that’s it. Wake up,” the girl whispered, her voice soft but commanding.
Suddenly, those ethereal blue eyes flashed before her again, accompanied by soft, rhythmic chuffs that sent her heart racing. Her breath hitched, fear and confusion swirling within her chest. She tensed, instinctively drawing back.
The girl, noticing Cordelia’s sudden fear, placed a calming hand on the tiger’s broad head, gently pushing him back. "Slow down, Alychnus," she murmured, "You’re scaring her."
The tiger tilted his head, his eyes still fixed on Cordelia with curious intensity, but he obeyed, taking a step back. The girl smiled faintly as she turned to Cordelia. “Sorry about him. He likes meeting new people but doesn’t realize how... imposing he can be.”
Cordelia’s lips parted, but her voice seemed lost, her throat raw and dry. She tried to speak, forcing the words through the fog of exhaustion and pain. “Who...” Her voice was barely a rasp.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“My name is Crimson.” She said gently, crouching beside her. “Don’t push yourself.”
Cordelia’s body was heavy, sluggish. Every movement felt like dragging herself through water. She fought to stay awake, her gaze flickering between the glowing fire, Crimson’s steady green eyes, and the giant silhouette of Alychnus now resting quietly by the door. The tiger’s fur gleamed in the firelight, his deep blue eyes still observing her, but now with a more patient gaze.
“Where… where am I?” Cordelia finally managed, her voice hoarse, but a little stronger.
“A small hut near the Silvercross Pass. Somewhere between Morian and the Blazing Mountains.” she answered.
“A-are we—” just as Cordelia spoke, Crimson raised her hand and shushed her. “Yes, we’re safe,” she reassured her, leaning back slightly to give Cordelia some space.
“You’re both lucky I found you when I did,” Crimson said, her tone light but underscored with seriousness. “Alychnus spotted your friend carrying you on his back. Apparently, he’s been walking with you like that for three days straight. Alychnus led you to my hut, and I patched you up. If I had been a few hours later, the infection would’ve done you in.”
“My friend—Daniel—” Cordelia stammered, instinctively trying to push herself upright, but her body rebelled, muscles weak and uncooperative.
Crimson pressed a hand to her shoulder, easing her back down. “Your friend is fine. He’s resting just over there.” She nodded toward a shadowed corner of the room where Daniel lay, breathing steadily, his arm bandaged and his face peaceful for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Cordelia’s racing heart slowed just a fraction. Her eyelids felt heavy again, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her like a blanket. The adrenaline that had surged through her moments ago began to ebb, replaced by a bone-deep weariness.
Crimson rose to her feet, her red hair catching the fire’s glow as she moved toward a small shelf cluttered with herbs, bottles, and worn tomes. “Go ahead, rest.” she said over her shoulder.
“………………wake up!……………”
***
Many hours later, Cordelia slowly opened her eyes, the remnants of sleep still clinging to her. The once-roaring fire had burned down to soft cinders, casting a faint, comforting warmth over the room. Pale morning light filtered in through the cracks in the walls, the muted winter sun barely warming the chilly air.
Cordelia groaned softly, her body protesting as she shifted. She carefully peeled the blanket back and glanced down. Her waist was tightly bandaged, the skin beneath still aching from the wound, but the pain was more distant now—dull and manageable.
Crimson was slumped in a chair beside the bed, her red hair spilling over her shoulder, rising and falling with each gentle breath. She had kept vigil through the night, but exhaustion had finally claimed her.
Cordelia’s gaze swept the room, but Daniel was nowhere to be seen. He must have risen early, leaving her to rest.
She sighed, her body sinking into the bed, her eyes drifting aimlessly across the room. For a fleeting moment, she wished everything that had happened was just a nightmare. But the dull ache in her side reminded her—none of it had been a dream. The Academy, the battle, the lives they lost—it was all painfully real.
Her heart ached with the weight of it, but she forced herself to breathe, her chest rising and falling slowly, grounding herself in the quiet of the room. Eventually she slowly rose from the bed, the wooden floor creaking softly beneath her bare feet. Her muscles ached, protesting the movement, but she forced herself upright. As she made her way out of the bedroom, the massive tiger suddenly appeared before her, its glowing blue eyes watching her intently. It chuffed, the sound rumbling through the quiet room, sending a shiver down her spine.
Her breath quickened, and she instinctively raised both hands, palms out in a sign of peace. The tiger lowered its head, sniffing her with surprising gentleness for such a powerful creature. After a moment, the tiger, satisfied with its inspection, pressed its head against her, rubbing its enormous body against her legs with enough force to nearly knock her over. A soft gasp escaped Cordelia, but she found herself relaxing, her heart slowing. Tentatively, she reached out, fingers brushing against the tiger’s fur. It was softer than she had expected, each strand of fur almost vibrating with a hidden energy. As she stroked it, a faint, shimmering dust sparkled from her fingertips, trailing behind where she touched.
This wasn’t just an ordinary beast. Its presence was too profound, too magical. Cordelia understood it now— this tiger was a familiar, a spiritual entity only bound to magic users.
Suddenly, the door swung open, breaking the quiet, magical moment between Alychnus and Cordelia. A gust of cold air and a dusting of snow followed Daniel as he stepped inside, brushing off the flakes from his hair and shoulders before shutting the door firmly behind him.
He froze mid-motion, his eyes locking onto Cordelia. For a heartbeat, he simply stared, his expression shifting from surprise to relief, a spark of happiness lighting up his face.
“Cordelia?” His voice was soft, almost disbelieving. “You’re up already?”
“I—” Cordelia began, but before she could finish, Daniel was across the room, wrapping her in a tight embrace. His arms were warm and strong around her, pulling her close with an urgency that spoke of all the fear and worry he’d carried for days. She stiffened for a moment, caught off guard by the suddenness of it, but soon her own arms circled around him, leaning into the comfort of his familiar presence.
Daniel’s body began to tremble, the silent weight of his grief finally surfacing as he clung to Cordelia. She felt his breath hitch, and before long, the tears that had been held back for days broke free.
Neither of them said a word. Together, they sank to their knees, holding onto each other as if they might drown in their sorrow if they let go. The silence of the room was filled with their quiet sobs, raw and unrestrained, as they mourned — not just for the lives lost, but for the weight of all they had been through.
Time seemed to blur. Minutes passed, or maybe hours. It didn’t matter. For the first time, they allowed themselves to truly feel the grief they’d buried beneath survival.
Eventually, the storm of emotions began to ebb. They slowly released their hold on one another, wiping away their tears with trembling hands.
They sat on the floor in silence for a while. Eventually, Cordelia broke the silence, her voice still hoarse but softer now. “Crimson told me… you carried me on your back for days,” she murmured, her gaze on the floor. “Thank you.”
Daniel sniffed, rubbing the back of his hand across his face before nodding. “You’re welcome,” he whispered, his voice still thick with emotion. “I didn’t know what else to do. I was trying to find any elven scouts, hoping maybe they'd know how to help you. But...”
He trailed off, glancing toward the tiger lounging in the corner. A faint, wry smile tugged at his lips. “Thankfully, that tiger found me first. At first, I thought it was going to attack me. But instead, it just stood there... staring. And then it started turning around, almost like it was trying to communicate with me. I couldn’t believe it.” His smile widened a little as he remembered. “It left a trail of blooming flowers behind for me to follow. That’s when I knew it was actually a familiar.”
Cordelia listened, a faint smile of her own forming at the corners of her mouth.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to follow a tiger,” Daniel added with a soft chuckle, the weight of the moment easing, if only just a little.
Cordelia sighed, her fingers nervously fidgeting over her knees. Her voice barely above a whisper, "Gods... what are we going to do? The Academy has fallen, our dragons are gone…"
Daniel remained silent, shaking his head slowly. There was no answer he could give, no solution. The weight of it all hung between them, thick and suffocating. They sat like that for a while, lost in the quiet, neither of them knowing what to say.
The silence was interrupted when the door creaked open, and Crimson appeared, her red hair tousled and eyes still puffy from sleep. She blinked at the sight before her, her gaze shifting from Daniel to Cordelia. “Why are you up? You should be in bed.” she said.
"I'm fine," Cordelia replied, her eyes quickly avoiding the concerned stare, brushing off the suggestion as if dismissing a minor wound. But the weariness in her voice betrayed her.
Crimson crossed her arms "That remains to be seen," she retorted.
Moving toward the fireplace, Crimson added more logs, the crackle of fresh flames filling the brief silence. She glanced back at them, her sharp green eyes softening just slightly. "I'll prepare something to eat," she said, her tone more casual this time. "You two, go get cleaned up."
There was no room for argument in her words, just a steady, practical rhythm that left Cordelia and Daniel exchanging glances. In turn Cordelia and Daniel got off the floor and got ready for the day.