This bed feels nice.

The first thing that Kayden noticed was the softness of the wool he was in. It felt like he was sleeping upon a giant sheep –which was probably the case.

Kayden woke up, gasping, sitting up. He wiped away a tear.

When did I start crying? he wondered, frowning. He remembered some kind of bad dream of sorts, but it was soon gone.

“Hey,” a young voice called at him from somewhere. “You woke up.”

Kayden looked to the side, surprised. Sitting there was a teenager with brown hair swept backward, in a simple chair next to where Kayden lay. He seemed to be about fifteen years old. The bed Kayden was sitting in was oddly comfortable, an absolute luxury after his unknown amount of time spent imprisoned. He was in some kind of wooden warm-log house, empty save for a few furnishings and the mysterious teenager.

Even though it was mid-summer, a crackling fire laughed and danced in a corner of the room, more for entertainment than anything else.

“Who are you?” Kayden asked, his voice coarse. “Where am I?”

“I’m Thamlar,” the youth said. “You can call me Tham. We’re in the village of Bargolen, south of the kingdom of Alborneth, in the Skyfall Empire. My dad didn’t want to turn you in until we knew who you were, so he said nothing. I agree with him. So, who are you? I found you right below the Undermost Skyland, right in the center of a crater. That’s definitely not normal.”

“Kayden,” he simply replied, not finding any reason to hide his identity. “Tham… thanks for saving my life, I guess. I gotta ask, though; in what year are we?”

“Huh?” Tham asked, cocking his head. “We’re in the year 1573, of course. Why?”

Year 1573… Kayden paled, doing some quick maths. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

It had been 214 years since he’d been imprisoned.

He felt his mind swimming, feeling sick.

“You okay?” Tham asked, alarmed, as Kayden raised his hand to his head in stunned silence.

“It’s been 214 years…” Kayden whispered.

“214 years since what?” Tham said, confused. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

Kayden remained in silence for a long time, until he finally spoke. “Have you ever heard of the Skyguard?”

“Of course I have!” Tham said. “Who hasn’t?”

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“...What do you know about it?” Kayden then asked, still feeling sick.

“They’re the group of traitors who stopped the first invasion of the Skylands, more than two hundred years ago. Slaughtered by the Everbender during the first days of the Skyfall Empire.”

Kayden nodded slowly, processing the information. Invasion of the Skylands? He didn’t remember any of that, but it seemed to click.

“I am… an adventurer,” he said, carefully picking his words. “I lived in what you call the Undermost Skyland. The… fall… must have hurt my head, because I can’t remember my life. I have genuinely close to zero idea about who I am.”

Tham folded his arms, pursing his lips. “We’ll see about that. Look. This village really needs some excitement, so I’ll let you stay, in exchange for something. I have a feeling the Skyfall Empire would pay wonders for someone like you. Though I won’t sell you out, if you don’t behave, the other villagers will. Other than that, here in the village of Bargolen we’re all hospitable, so you’re welcome to stay as long as you want here in the inn, as long as you can work. You will soon enough tell me everything about you, though.”

“What do you want in exchange for me staying?” Kayden asked.

“Peace,” said Tham. “I’ll be honest with you. My village has been bullied by a band of marauders for the last five years now. They come every month and take away our food and money. If you’re an adventurer, as you so say, you’ll defend us from them when they next come around.”

Kayden was tempted to say he would soon leave. He was tempted to say he’d leave to save the world, to stop yet another civilization-ending catastrophe. But he couldn’t. Not anymore.

“...Thank you,” he said instead. “Deal. I guess I’ll be staying here for a while.”

They sat in silence for several minutes, until Kayden finally asked the question he had long been itching to ask.

“Is the Everbender still in power?” Kayden asked hesitantly.

“Of course she is,” Tham replied. “She always has been and always will be. She’s the Everbender, after all.”

Kayden’s heart skipped a beat.

She’s alive. Lauren’s alive. And she still ruled.

Kayden didn’t know how to feel about that. He didn’t remember any details about his life with her as kids, but he did remember emotions. Happiness, back when there was nothing to worry about. Back before everything had gone horribly wrong. He itched to go back to those days. But he knew that wouldn’t be possible anymore. Not after what she had done. That was one thing he would never forget.

How she had, one by one, killed them all.

“Oh, and hey,” Tham added, interrupting his thoughts. “Will you want your sword brought here? We found it with you the first time.”

“No, you can keep it,” Kayden answered. “I… won’t be using it anymore.”

– – –

After the initial conversation with Tham, Tham had guided Kayden out of his room, and had made him meet a few of the townspeople, including Tham’s father. Every person Kayden met made him feel more guilty. Tham was keeping his identity secret, but Kayden felt like crying with each new name he learned. Could he really become anyone’s friend here? Could he start over?

Would he be able to protect them when the time came?

Kayden felt he shouldn’t be there, that he should be out there stopping the fall of the Skylands. Stopping Lauren. Or finding her, at least. But that had been Kayden the Swordsman of Time, not Kayden the failure. And Kayden the Swordsman of Time was no more.

Kayden was now with Barelk the lumberjack in a nearby forest, carrying an axe. He turned once more towards where he initially came from, towards the Skylands that still rose high in the sky, that still had a chance. Although he could not see them from here, he could imagine them.

He should be out there. He knew it. But he couldn’t afford to fail again. That would destroy him for sure. Everyone he had always known was dead. Lauren was still in this world, but the Lauren he had once known, his Lauren, had died long ago.

Resigning, he picked up his lumberjack’s axe, and swung it onto the hard wood.

Someone would save the world.

But it would not be him.