Chapter 45 : Medieval 𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓈

Night slowly falls over Iveralmn, and the stars begin to twinkle in the sky.

"Are we leaving now, then?" I ask, intrigued. Valentin also turns to Elvaria, visibly wondering the same thing.

"Indeed. Alfie, do you think you can keep up with us?" Elvie responds, first turning to us, then to Alfira.

"No problem, big sister!" Alfira answers immediately, full of enthusiasm. Wait, now she’s calling Elvaria "big sister"? Their relationship seems to have grown even closer. After all, they’re the only girls in Novus Obris at the moment.

Without wasting any time, we leave the capital, heading toward Voltruite. Normally, this journey would take a month, but with our skills, we could easily reduce that time. The night is calm, and we advance at an impressive speed.

After a few minutes of running, Alfira, seemingly a bit out of breath, makes a suggestion. "Shouldn’t we stop to sleep for now? I wanna try sleeping outside, not in the base, please ?" she asks while maintaining her pace.

"It’s getting late. We might as well rest," Valentin replies pragmatically.

We all stop using our movement skills at once, creating a shockwave that lifts dust around us. We settle down to camp in a small clearing. We had planned and packed everything in advance, well-prepared for situations like this. The setup is quick, and soon we lie down on our makeshift blankets.

I lie down near Elvie, my gaze fixed on the night sky, and exhaustion quickly overwhelms me...

Suddenly, everything changes. I am thrown into a strange dream, so vivid it feels real. "Aley… filthy bastard," murmurs a deep, cold voice. My eyelids slowly lift, and I find myself in a garden suspended above the heavens, floating in an endless celestial expanse. There’s no ground or horizon, only infinity all around. Massive white pillars rise, breaking the uniformity of this surreal place. It’s the same place I saw last time.

At the center of this garden stands a figure in heavy armor. Its gaze is empty, but I recognize its face: it’s Aleystria. Seeing him sends a chill down my spine.

Suddenly, without warning, he disappears. In an instant, he materializes in front of me and drives his fist into my chest, piercing my flesh as if it were paper. My body is hurled into the vast expanse, but strangely, I don’t die. The gaping hole in my chest regenerates immediately, as if my existence here can’t be erased.

"Stop! What do you want?!" I scream, but he doesn’t answer. Without hesitation, he strikes me again. This time, a kick crushes my skull, reducing it to pieces. I fall, but once again, I come back to life, my body reconstituting itself.

He continues to attack me, relentlessly. My body, destroyed time and time again, always regenerates. Each blow further fractures the floating garden, breaking the pillars around us. I don’t even have time to think about the situation. The massive sword he wields, reflecting the universe itself, suddenly appears in his hands, and he slices my body into an infinity of pieces. And yet, again and again, I come back to life.

The pain is unbearable, but I am trapped in this infernal cycle.

"Aley, do you even know who you are?" His voice echoes through the infinite, cold and relentless. His aura is crushing, almost suffocating me.

"I am you! We are the same person, why are you doing this to me?!" I shout, desperately seeking an answer, a reason. But my words only seem to irritate him further.

"You're a murderer. You killed them all," he says, an expression of sadness and anger twisting his face. Then, once again, he disappears, only to reappear right in front of me, piercing my body without mercy.

The cycle continues: death, resurrection, death, over and over… until suddenly, everything stops. I wake up with a jolt, breathing heavily, my body trembling.

"AAAH!" I scream, sitting up abruptly, my hands gripping the grass beneath me. My screams immediately wake the entire group.

"Aley, what’s going on?!" Elvaria shouts, grabbing her spear and scanning the surroundings as if searching for an enemy.

"Are you okay?" Valentin asks, drawing his sword, muscles tensed and ready for action.

"Aley…?" Alfira murmurs sleepily, her face half-buried in her blankets. "You’re making so much noise, so early in the morning..."

I take deep breaths, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart. "Sorry... I had a nightmare. A really bad nightmare," I say, my hands trembling slightly on my knees.

We get up and quickly pack up our campsite, ready to hit the road again. My legs feel heavy, and each step seems more difficult than the last. The horror of what I endured—dying over and over—weighs on my mind, a nightmare I struggle to shake off.

Elvaria notices my unease. She silently approaches, gently taking my hand, her touch warming my body, chilled by fear. She whispers in my ear, "What happened, Aley?" Her voice is soft, almost like a soothing melody.

I shake my head, a faint smile on my lips. "Don’t worry, Elvie. It’s kind of you to support me."

She smiles, puffed up with pride. "Of course, I’m your fiancée, after all!" she exclaims proudly.

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Valentin, ever curious, listens in and butts into the conversation. "You can count on us, Aley! We’re a team now!" he says with a beaming smile, giving a thumbs-up, as if to seal this promise.

Alfira, never one to be left out, seizes the moment: "Rule number 1 of Novus Obris, by royal decree: always support your fellow members!" She shouts this with boundless energy, clearly abusing her status as a princess, but her enthusiasm is contagious.

I laugh softly. "Thanks... Alright, time to get moving," I say, as the sun begins to peek over the horizon, painting the sky pink and gold.

Suddenly, Elvaria, with a mischievous look, says, "How about we race to the border town of Voltruite?" Her eyes sparkle with a challenge, leaving no room for doubt. Before we can enter another continent or country, we first need to get a passport in Blindrock, the city we’re heading to.

"Whoever loses pays out of their own pocket, no dipping into the guild funds," I reply with a grin. Then, without waiting for a response, I shout, "Quick Step!" and dash off at full speed, the wind whistling in my ears.

"You rat! Quick Step!" Valentin yells, desperately trying to catch up to me. But something has changed in me recently, and my Quick Step has evolved. I’m much faster than before, though I still don’t know why.

Alfira mutters to herself, preparing to act. "I have to give it my all..." She doesn’t even need to announce her skill out loud; Gift of the King takes care of everything. Her power is rare and impressive, a force that few people possess.

Meanwhile, Elvaria stays behind. Confident in my lead, I stop looking back and focus on the road ahead. My speed surpasses the sound barrier. I should be fine, no one can catch up to me now.

But to my great surprise, a red comet slices through the air ahead of us effortlessly. It’s Elvie. She passes all of us, a sly smile on her lips, before disappearing into the distance.

The wind distorts around us, creating shockwaves so powerful they sound like the roars of giant beasts. It’s almost certain that someone will report this to the guild, thinking it’s a threat.

After several long minutes of running, we finally arrive at Blindrock, the border town of Iveralmn, the gateway to Voltruite.

Voltruite is the name of both a continent and a kingdom. Unlike Iveralmn, which is fundamentally different, the kingdom of Voltruite serves as the capital of the continent, but it’s purely symbolic.

I didn't know it yet, but this journey will become one of Novus Obris’ most memorable adventures.

"Finally here…" I murmur, staring at the dark walls of Blindrock. The city is much more imposing than Pienat, with its massive guard towers and robust ramparts. It seems perfectly protected, but most of all, inside, it’s bustling with activity.

"Aley, I’ve been here before. And you’ll see, at this time of year, they hold a small festival. You’re going to love it." Valentin winks at me. It’s like he’s spent his whole life traveling this world. In fact, that’s probably true.

"Oh, I know exactly what you’re talking about!" exclaims Elvaria, her face beaming with excitement.

Alfira, who seems a bit lost in their conversation, then turns to me, looking puzzled.

"Aley, do you know what they’re talking about?" she asks me softly.

"Honestly, no idea," I reply with a shrug.

We move toward the entrance of Blindrock, where a long line stretches ahead of us, much longer than the one I experienced in Iveralmn. But why are there so many people here?

Curious, I approach one of the guards to ask the question: "Excuse me, why is there so much crowd today?"

The guard flashes a sly grin before winking at Valentin, who is standing just behind me. Do they know each other?

"Ogto! It's been a while. Don't tell my comrade, I want to surprise him," exclaims Valentin as he recognizes the guard. He approaches to shake his hand with a broad smile.

My curiosity only grows stronger.

"Aley, I found us a spot in the line, Valentin too. Come quickly!" yells Elvaria, already well-positioned at the back of the queue with Alfira.

We join the line, and while I admire the snowy mountains looming over the city, it snows endlessly in Voltruite from what I've heard, a snowball suddenly smacks into my face.

-SPLASH-

"W-What...?" I mutter softly...

I stay still for a moment, stunned, before hearing the stifled laughter of Valentin. He's doubled over, unable to contain himself. Elvaria soon bursts out laughing as well, followed by Alfira, who tries her best to hide a little giggle behind her hand.

Wiping the snow from my face, I quickly understand what just happened. Valentin took advantage of the small piles of snow scattered on the ground to throw one right at me.

Without a word, I slowly crouch down and start forming a snowball in my hand. In a barely audible whisper, I murmur: "Aleystria's Reinforcement..."

And in a fraction of a second, I launch my snowball with superhuman force, hitting Valentin squarely in the face. He doesn’t even have time to react before being knocked to the ground by the impact.

And so, what was supposed to be a simple wait, turns into... an impromptu snowball fight for Novus Obris.

When our turn finally arrives, we pass through the gates of Blindrock, and the first thing that strikes me is the almost magical atmosphere of the city. It's like a medieval Christmas: decorations everywhere, cobblestone streets covered in snow, and the houses have this Nordic feel, much more rustic than those in Iveralmn, but with a charm all their own.

"Valentin, is there Christmas in this world too?" I ask, intrigued.

"Not exactly," he replies with a smile. "Here, it's the Snow Festival. It's an annual event in Voltruite."

I finally understand why everyone seems so excited.

"So, Aley, what do you think? Do you find it pretty?" asks Elvaria as she clings to my arm, a wide smile on her face. We walk through the city, admiring the ice sculptures scattered all around. In particular, a huge statue stands at the center of Blindrock.

"There's less people than last year," notes Elvaria, still nestled against me. Yet, the streets are crowded. Couples, adventurers, nobles, all gathered here, under this bright blue sky, making the place feel even more magical.

"So, where do we go to get our passports?" I ask, ready to complete this formality.

To my surprise, it’s Alfira who answers: "We can either see a noble from Voltruite who resides here, or go to the guild, or be recognized by the city itself."

"I see..."

I approach the massive ice sculpture at the center of the city. It depicts a tall man draped in a majestic cape, sculpted with incredible precision. As I am absorbed in the details of the statue, I suddenly feel a hand gently resting on my shoulder. Surprised, I turn around.

"Hello, young ones. You're from elsewhere, aren't you?" The voice of an old woman softly echoes in our ears. She addresses us all, dressed in heavy winter clothes. She is small, bent with age, but her gaze shines with undeniable wisdom.

"Don't look at me like that," she says with a smile. "I just wanted to tell you the legend of this statue."

We listen attentively as she continues: "They say that whoever manages to melt this ice will receive the blessing of the snow god..."

She gazes at the statue with a nostalgic look before turning back to us again. "Oh, but where are my manners? I am Matilda Oxcrige, just a simple florist." She punctuates her speech with a little laugh, as if this story of a blessing is as sweet to her as an old childhood song.

Author's note : Kinda getting discouraged with the writing, will not stop tho, hoping that you guys can still enjoy