❅ Alyndira Stormrune ❅

The water filled my lungs, burning inside me like a fire. Breathing was impossible; my chest felt like it was about to burst. I tried to thrash my arms, but I was powerless. My vision was darkening, and the cold water was slowly pulling me deeper. Time seemed to stop… In the final moments of drowning, there was only emptiness, only darkness. Finding nothing to hold onto, I let myself go.

These were Alyn's last thoughts before falling into the sea.

⚔ Kyran Volkran ⚔

Kyran stood bracing himself against the poles of the tent in the harsh wind of Kalemos. While Garek and Talin tossed logs onto the ground to revive the fire, Kyran’s thoughts were elsewhere. Knowing they’d be spending the night by the sea after returning from their reconnaissance mission in Fasun had brought a welcome sense of relief. Yet, there was something strange in the salty air coming from the sea. As he planned to satisfy his hunger alongside the gentle crashing of waves, his eyes suddenly caught movement on the dark surface of the water. Turning his head, he spotted something moving on the water. At first, it seemed like nothing more than waves, but there was something else.

“Garek! Talin!” he shouted, his voice swallowed by the wind. “There’s something in the sea!”

Kyran approached the shore carefully. In the dark waters of Kalemos, a form emerged—a human body. His heart raced, his body filled with tension. Listening to his pounding heartbeat, he ran toward the sea. As he stepped into the water, the cold waves struck his legs, sending a chill through him, but it didn’t stop him. As he got closer, he saw the unconscious figure of a woman being carried to the shore. The sea was pushing the young woman’s body toward the shore with a gentle yet determined force. She appeared to have been in the water for quite some time. Her red hair had mixed with the salty waters, her pale skin had grown even paler from the cold, and her lips were darkened.

As Kyran pulled the unconscious woman toward him, he was immediately struck by her attire. She wore a long black coat over a wet, clinging white shirt, a thick leather belt at her waist, and snug trousers that created an elegant silhouette. Her long, slightly heeled black boots were filled with water. A green scarf wrapped around her neck was entangled with the strap of her satchel, dragging her down. Her hair floated softly on the water like waves, and even her pale expression carried an air of grace. Kyran couldn’t help but admire the beauty of this young woman.

As he reached for her, Kyran felt something shift deep within him. He pulled her frail body from the water, cradled her in his arms, and carried her to shore.

Holding the red-haired stranger close, he took her to the campfire and gently laid her down on the grass. With trembling hands, he touched her face; it was cold, but there was still a sign of life. When he checked her pulse on her neck, he noticed a snowflake-shaped pendant. He examined it for a moment but then quickly focused back on her. His training as a soldier made him sense that this person was someone special, though he couldn’t figure out who she was.

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“It's done, you’ll have to sleep out here tonight!” Garek grumbled to Talin, who didn’t seem to take him seriously.

“Hey, Kyran!” Talin called from a distance. “Who’s that?”

“I don’t know. She washed up on shore!” Kyran replied without looking in Talin’s direction. He removed the leather satchel from around her neck and took a look inside. Though he didn’t recognize the strange tools within, he could tell they were sharp and likely used for piercing or cutting.

Talin approached, standing by the woman’s head. “My god!” he murmured.

“Light the fire, Garek,” Kyran instructed, “Hurry!”

“Is she alive?” Garek asked, attempting to rekindle the fire.

“Yes. We need to keep her warm,” Kyran replied. He carefully removed her boots to avoid causing her any pain and set them aside.

“What would a Northerner be doing here?” Talin wondered aloud.

Kyran ignored him, kneeling beside the unconscious woman as he felt the warmth of the fire. The cold hadn’t affected her too badly. As he watched her faint breathing, he noticed how his own heart raced. Kyran gently placed a blanket over her to keep her from getting hurt. When he looked at her, a growing curiosity and protectiveness filled him.

Garek soon had the fire blazing. “Fire’s up,” he said, muttering something under his breath. “But keep a close eye on her; she’s entirely your responsibility.”

“If responsibility is this beautiful, I wouldn’t mind taking it on myself,” Talin joked with a laugh.

Kyran nodded, not even hearing Garek and Talin’s conversation. His only thought was how this Northern young woman had ended up here. He didn’t know, but something was changing. A new feeling awoke within him—a strength compelling him to stay close and protect her.

As the warmth of the fire began to penetrate the young woman’s shivering body, Kyran hurriedly opened his bag to find another blanket, covering her with it. Her clothes were still wet, but instead of removing them, he focused on keeping her warm and helping her regain body heat.

The woman’s eyelids began to tremble; a sign she was slowly regaining consciousness. When she opened her eyes, her vision was briefly blurred. She felt her head spinning and her body shaking, but the first thing she saw was a pair of intense, determined eyes looking at her in the orange glow of the fire. Kyran was watching her face closely, as if waiting for a response from her.

The young woman’s eyes sparkled in a vibrant shade of sea-green, like the water itself. Kyran couldn’t stop himself from admiring her beauty even more. His eyes traced her smooth, pale skin, the delicate contours of her face, and the droplets of saltwater clinging to her slightly parted lips, deepening the complex emotions within him.

My god, this girl is truly beautiful, he thought, feeling his admiration intertwine with an overwhelming protective instinct.

“You… who…?” the young woman struggled to speak, her voice weak and raspy. She didn’t have the strength to complete her sentence. She tried to turn her head and look around, but this place was unfamiliar to her. She had crossed the boundaries of time and place.

“Don’t say anything,” Kyran said softly yet firmly. “Just rest.”

The woman looked at Kyran for a brief moment before closing her eyes again. As he watched her eyelids fall shut once more, Kyran took a deep breath. Although he didn’t understand who this stranger was or why she had been in the sea, he knew he had to help her. This was something beyond his usual military duties.

As night fully descended over the shores of Kalemos, shadows stretched around the fire. The presence of this young woman would alter Kyran’s future, though none of them knew where this journey would lead.