Dylan wandered through the night on the island. The place of his upbringing. The darkness of night still lingered with slivers of light twinkling through. There was a constant cool breeze that chilled him to the bone. The trees were nothing but silhouettes with their branches interlocked and twigs a tangled mess. Dylan could see the shadows of the trees from the moonlight; the once familiar terrain seemed eerie to him. He broke through the thick and bristled tree line; easing up to a cliff that overlooked the bay. The damp air clung to Dylan’s skin like a wet blanket. The tip of the island was cut off by the horizon. Muddy water and playful waves were the only signs of life.
The cold night air sent a chill down his spine and his shirt clung to his skin as if stapled there. Waves of grass and sea water hit his nostrils. He could smell the salt in the air and the sound of waves crashing into the shoreline rumbled in the distance; occasionally drowned out by the wind. Dylan could hear the wind rustling through the trees; the boughs creaked and a light breeze carried the scent of decay and mud that tickled his nose.
Sighing heavily… he stared up at the dense expanse of a starry sky while looking for a sign — from someone or something that he once believed in. The twin moons manifested brightly through the wispy clouds and reflected off the shimmering water under the moonlight; the waves hypnotized him. If Dylan could just lie in the grass and stare at those waves— he could fall asleep. He wanted to lie down and watch the waves forever. His eyes wandered to the shore. The light of the moons fell bright on the sand and water. It illuminated the shoreline.
Dylan stepped forward as his boots crunched the gravel beneath him. He made his way to the cliff’s edge. The wind whipped through his hair— sending loose strands flying and stinging his eyes. Despite the gusts that threatened to push him back— he clung to the rocky outcropping and stared out across the vast expanse of water that stretched before him.
The twin moons of Arilia were high in the sky and castes a bright ethereal glow over everything below. Cymbiir… the smaller of the two glimmered with pearl-tinted beams that danced across the surface of the ocean; while Sasantyr radiated vibrant magenta rays that illuminated even the darkest corners of the night. Dylan had forgotten about his pain as he marveled at the beauty before him. Even if it was only for a moment. The vision before him was a reminder that even in darkness… there was still something to appreciate.
But then reality came crashing back— heavier than before. The emptiness in his chest returned and an ache that no amount of celestial wonder could cure. He searched for a sign of hope amid the darkness but found none. Only shadows and uncertainty lay ahead.
Dylan trudged through the soft ground with his feet sinking with each step. He was no longer the world’s most feared assassin— but was a lost soul wandering through the depths of anguish and pain. His heartache was an anchor around his neck that slowly dragged him to the bottom of a sea of despair.
The moonlight glinted off tears that ran down his face. His throat tightened with emotion as he tried desperately to hold back a wave of grief that threatened to overwhelm him. He’d been too proud to admit when he needed help. But now all his bravado had dissipated into nothingness and he was left feeling helpless and alone.
He paused for a moment as he gazed across the ocean. The horizon seemed so far away — like a beacon of hope that remained just beyond reach. If only he could find some way out of this darkness that gripped his heart like iron fingers; perhaps then he could put his shattered pieces back together again and move forward with his life. But for now— all he did was stare out at the endless expanse of water in front of him and waited for an answer from the moonlight or from the stars above – until finally; he found solace as he embraced the night and allowed himself to feel whatever emotion came up without pushing them away. And while it brought him no immediate relief from his sorrows; it gave him enough strength to keep moving.
He was lost in thought until he felt a chill sweep over him and his feet stopped moving. He looked up and found himself standing before Kristen’s tomb. Her name caught his eye. The inscription stood out sharply against the worn granite doorway; the bright red paint still glistened from where the sun had brushed its warmth across the surface. Tiny droplets of dew melded with patches of lichens that clung to the wall like tiny stars.
The grounds were impeccably misted to the point where he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him. It was quiet with each step he made— perishing the miniature patter of his feet against the ground. The grass was moist and still soft… letting his feet sink into the blades of grass the more he walked. He thought he saw a lone tear fall from the heavens—welling up into the form of a star. But he finally realized that it was his own eye that were welling up.
He felt like the temperature had dropped 10 degrees as it seemed much colder than before. When they laid Kristen to rest four days ago— it didn’t seem so cold; maybe it’s because he was now alone — so alone. When she was at his side. He was supremely confident… undeniably strong and nearly invincible. But now— he’s the shell of his former self and again— alone.
Dylan stepped closer to the crypt with a silent sorrow as he hardly believed that he was entering the resting place of the love of his life. He reached out for the door handle and pulled. But it remained still. The antique brass latch had gotten stuck in place. He jostled it with his fingers with his heart pounding like thunder against his chest and after a few moments of fumbling… it reluctantly shifted and creaked open with an unnerving sound so shrill and sharp that he felt a physical chill. Like someone had scraped their nails slowly down a bone-dry chalkboard.
The air inside was heavy and stale with death. And he felt himself inhaling a lifetime of sorrow as he walked slowly towards her coffin at the rear of the chamber. His heart felt heavy when he knelt beside her glass sarcophagus and peered inside at her peaceful face—so perfect… yet so distant from him now.
He felt regretful for not doing more; for not being able to save her from this fate. It had only been eight days since they last saw each other. But it seemed like an eternity to Dylan who had been living life on autopilot ever since Kristen was taken from him. All that remained was an emptiness in his chest that no amount of distraction could fill.
Tears streaked down his face as he closed his eyes to savor one more moment with Kristen—one last time where he felt close to her again.
As he knelt beside the coffin— he noticed a familiar object partially concealed behind Kristen’s resting place. He reached out and brushed aside a crimson-colored satin curtain and felt the familiar cold steel of Bliss; Kristen’s hand-crafted Miktoro Shadow Blade. He unsheathed it from its scabbard and examined every inch of the blade as if it were a part of Kristen herself. The handle was crafted from stained Macassar wood. A deep black as if forged from the void between the stars; and ornamented with intricately etched patterns made by a master craftsman. A lone…sharp edge made this a perfect weapon to block attacks and slice enemies to tiny little pieces.
Every detail was so perfect. Dylan almost felt Kristen’s touch as he ran his fingers along the blade’s edges.
In tribute to Kristen— Dylan hung Bliss on the wall in display directly behind her crypt where she would forever be remembered through her beloved weapon. One that she had mastered during their time together.
He thought of all the happy memories they shared while training: late nights spent sharpening blades and honing techniques. Dawns spent sparring in preparation for battle. Early mornings laughing together after a night of erupting passion. All of those memories were now frozen in time like diamonds set in glass cases—never to be touched again.
He whispered deftly— trying not to cry, “Kris. I…I’m sorry.”
He lowered his head now quietly sobbing, “I wasn’t strong enough to protect you; to save you.”
He wiped the tears from his eyes and face and took notice of the flames from the wall lanterns that burned Forever Oil. The warm amber light graced the chiseled stone walls and the scent of the sweet metallic oil filled the space; a scent he’d encountered and knew too well from his many years of service to the World Order.
He sighed heavily and glanced back at her lifeless shell; and for a brief moment… he’d thought he saw her smile. But no— only a wish.
“Kris,” He started again, “I can’t do this anymore. Not without you. You kept me grounded. You kept me centered; humane. I won’t let myself live if you’re not here to help me.”
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He paused as he wiped the few stray tears from his cheek. “I-. I see faces,” he continued. “In my dreams at night. I see all of their faces. All the men I’ve slaughtered. Hundreds…maybe even thousands? Like waves of the sea; staring at me as I walk to the end of the warrior’s road. And they speak softly… judging me with the tone of an afflicting whisper…‘Welcome— Brother; you’ll be joining us soon.’”
Dylan cleared his throat in defeat. “I can’t. No more.”
He slammed his fist against the hard stone floor in a fit of rage and let out a roar of despair— filled with grief and anger. “This is the World Order’s fault!”
He seethed. “They made us who we are, and they’re the reason why you’re no longer with me. I’m done! Done being their puppet!”
The room shook as he roared in frustration at the injustice of it all. He felt helpless for not being able to protect her. It had consumed him ever since her death. It turned him into an empty shell of a man that no longer felt anything but anger and hatred.
He screamed until his throat ached and he could not make a sound. His chest heaved up and down as the howl began to leave him. It left a heavy sense of futility in its wake. The emptiness was almost worse than the pain of losing her. He had never felt so alone. Tears welled up in his eyes and caused his vision to blur… half choking on the emotion— half suffocating under it.
Dylan took a deep breath and bowed his head in agonizing acceptance. “I can do nothing more. Nothing more to bring you back to me… or make up for my failures. I can only stay here in your honor until I too am gone.”
Silently— he leaned down to press his lips lightly against the glass above her face. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he said goodbye one final time, “Farewell my love. Please find the peace you deserve. And be blessed in your restful sleep.”
Dylan stood up slowly and looked around the room once again; giving a silent prayer for Kristen’s soul before he turned around and left for good—leaving Bliss behind on display in memory of Kristen’s valiant life as a Moon-Touched Shadow-Crafter.
He faced away from Kristen’s coffin and walked to the doorway. “I’m leaving this place. Never to come back. And may the Elder God- Kreios help any who try to stop me…” he declared. “They will never find me…and I promise to never take another life for them again.”
His voice grew more determined as he spoke his final words…
“I swear it.”
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Back at the Island…
Alexa stared out of her window and gazed deep into the lush forest that surrounded their stronghold. She had been watching for days now and hoped to see his silhouette in the distance; but all she had seen were shadows and figures that quickly faded away like a dream.
Alexa sucked in a ragged breath as her vision blurred with tears. An icy lance pierced through her chest and wracked her entire body with a gut-wrenching anguish. She felt the tangible sadness that suffocated the room. A single teardrop clung to her cheek for an eternity before it finally made its way down her chin like a river of despair.
Each passing moment intensified the crippling guilt that consumed her; if only she had been there for him. But alas… the regret was too much– he was gone. Her heart bled for what could have been and should have been. But instead— silence hung in air like a thick blanket of dread –reminding Alexa of all she had lost.
Dylan had been gone for three weeks now… but for her—it felt like three years. She’s locked herself in her rooming quarters wasting away and ignoring everything outside of the confines of her space.
The death of Kristen weeks earlier had taken its toll on her and the others; but for Dylan— she knew it was his breaking point. She felt regret for not staying close to him. To watch over him during his time of need; but she also knew how private he was and how he preferred solitude when dealing with misery.
In a fit of anguish— Alexa slammed her fist against the windowsill and let out a cry of despair; filled with grief and regret. “This is my fault,” she whimpered softly as tears streamed down her face. “I knew he was hurting. And I let him do this alone!”
She sank to her knees in defeat as sobs wracked her body uncontrollably. All she could do is hope that he was okay.
The shadows grew longer as the sunlight waned outside her window. She sat there for hours and waited for him to come home. Every so often she checked her phone. But all she could see was the time as it slowly slipped away.
Just as she gave up hope— the shrill ring of her phone shot through the silence and made her flinch slightly. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and answered it:
“Hello, this is Alexa.”
After a brief pause, she heard a sigh.
She responded again, “Hello?”
Another pause… until—
“Hey.” The lowly… broken voice spoke.Alexa immediately focused her attention on the caller when she recognized the voice…“Dylan?”
“Dylan. Honey—where are you?”
“Are you okay?”
After another pause— he finally spoke again, “Yes. Hey. I’m okay. I just missed your voice, is all.”
Worry raced across her face; she could tell that he was not being completely honest with her by his tone and she began to tear up.
“No. No. You’re not okay.”
“I can hear it in your voice. Tell me where you are.”
“No Alex,” he answered, “I can’t bear the thought of you being hurt—the way Krissy was.”
“I just wanted to hear your voice… one last time.”
She shuttered at the cryptic response. “What do you mean—one last time?”
She impatiently waited for an answer as she felt her anxiety rise and her frustrations showed. “What do you mean Dylan?”
But he remained silent.
With teared sniffle… she pleaded with Dylan to stay online— “No. Please? Please don’t hang up.”
Despair rang through her words as she continued, “Where are you? I know you’re still hurting. I am too. But we have to get through this—together.”
She took a deep breath before pushing out the last plea, “Come home. Please?”
But despite her plea— there was a part of her that knew it had already been too late.
He sighed again… “Alex… no. I’ll never go back. Not to them. They butchered her. They killed Krissy like she was nothing…”
“I’m done with the World Order, and I’ll die before I let them control me again.”
She wiped her eyes and responded sternly. “Okay—you’re right. I agree with you. But please tell me where you are…”
“I’m coming to you.”
Dylan immediately chimed: “No Alex—I don’t think that it’s a good idea for…”
But she cut him off mid-sentence. “Enough. I’m coming to you. They won’t stop me. So—if you’re gone… then so am I…”
There is a moment of silence that drug on—until she calms herself…and then continued. “I need you Dylan Foster. And as much as you hate to admit it; you need me. Do you remember the promise we made to each other when we were kids?”
She paused with a tender smile as she recited the promise they made to each other as children so many years ago:
“It’s you and me. Forever we’ll be…one in heart; never to part.”
Dylan choked up… and whispered…
“Okay Alex. You win…and thank you—”
“You’ve always been my guardian angel; but I do miss you.”
“and I love you. Very much.”
She smiled in return, “I love you too sweetie; and it will always be— you and me… forever.”
He continued with their brief conversation and disclosed his location…
“I made my way to a small city called Zarukthar on the Draykoni Province.”
“I found an abandoned settlement and I’ve been lying low.”
Now relieved— she beamed… finally getting what she wanted. A way to be by his side and to protect him from the demons of his past. She wrote down the coordinates and final directions.
She exhaled calmly…“Okay Dylan. Give me two days. And I’ll be right there—I promise.”