We spent hours combing through the city, searching for clues, direction, anything. And while we didn’t find any answers, we did confirm one thing, Ebonfall wasn’t cursed anymore. At least, not in the same way it had been.
The oppressive atmosphere that had hung over everything was lifting. The shadows weren’t as deep, the air wasn’t as heavy, and there wasn’t a single undead in sight. As we moved through the streets, I noticed little things: faint traces of vegetation poking through cracked cobblestones, the absence of that sickly decay smell, even the soft chirping of distant birds.
But the town itself was still a mess. The buildings were mostly intact, though worn down and abandoned. Houses stood empty, their windows gaping like hollow eyes. Shops lined the streets, their signs faded and unreadable, their interiors filled with broken furniture and cobwebs. A few military structures and what looked like a pair of religious buildings sat near the town’s center, but they were just as derelict as everything else.
“Looks like no one’s been here in decades,” Elyria said, her voice echoing slightly in the empty square. She kicked a loose stone with the toe of her boot, sending it clattering down the street.
“Yeah,” I agreed, glancing around. “It totally looks like a town that was recently full of undead and is now empty.”
“Totally,” she agreed. We shared a smile.
We poked around the buildings some more, hoping to find something useful, supplies, hints about the terminal, maybe even a clue about where Maya was, but came up empty-handed. All we really confirmed was that the city wasn’t actively trying to kill us anymore.
As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the building with the terminal. Exhausted, we stumbled into what must have been a someone’s apartment or something. Inside, we found a pair of shabby-looking beds. No sheets, no pillows, but they were solid enough, if rundown, and that was good enough for the night.
Elyria flopped down onto one of the beds, letting out a sigh. “Well, that was productive,” she said sarcastically, though her tone was light.
I sat on the edge of the other bed, rubbing my hands together for warmth. “I know right, but at least it seems the undead is gone, and the town isn’t cursed or haunted or whatever anymore?”
“Sure,” she said, rolling onto her side to face me. “Progress. And tomorrow we’ll tackle the terminal and figure out what the hell we’re actually supposed to be doing here.” She gave me a small smile. “Good night, Mayor.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Good night, Elyria,” I replied with a grin.
She turned over, and the room fell quiet.
“You don’t think it’s fine at day and haunted or cursed or whatever at night now do you?” She asked, I could tell she was somewhat serious.
“Well NOW I do.” I said, and we shared a laugh. A good way to end the night.
I tried to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t let me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Maya’s blank stare as the zombies dragged her away. The look in her eyes wasn’t fear or anger or even confusion. It was nothing. That haunted me.
And then there was the whole “Mayor of Ebonfall” thing. What did that even mean? I wasn’t qualified to run a city. Hell, I could barely run my life back on Earth. And now I was responsible for this place? For its people, whenever they showed up? The weight of it pressed down on me, and the fact that the bed was freezing didn’t help.
It was easy to forget this was a simulation. The cold was real. Bone-deep, teeth-chattering cold that crept into every muscle and joint. I curled up as much as I could, wrapping my arms around myself, but it didn’t help much. It also didn’t help that I couldn’t stop thinking about Maya. The blank look in her eyes was haunting me. It was worse than fear or anger, it was nothing. Total absence. I replayed the moment over and over, wondering if there was something I could have done to stop it, something I’d missed.
“Everett?” Elyria’s voice broke through the silence, interrupting my pity party.
“Yeah?” I replied, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
“Can I... lie next to you? Just for warmth,” she added quickly. “It’s freezing.”
I hesitated, not because I didn’t want her to, but because I wasn’t sure how I’d handle it. But the practicality of her request won out. “Yeah, sure. Come over.”
Her footsteps were quiet as she crossed the room. She climbed into the bed next to me, her body close but not quite touching. The warmth was immediate, and I realized just how cold I’d been.
“Thanks,” she murmured, settling in.
“No problem,” I said, though my heart was racing. She smelled of sweat and dirt, but underneath that was something faintly familiar, something uniquely Elyria. It was comforting.
I lay there, the room quiet except for the occasional creak of old wood settling beneath us. Elyria’s breathing had evened out, a soft rhythm that should have been soothing, but my mind wouldn’t stop turning. I thought about the city, the crystal, the undead that had been here just hours ago.
Where did they go? The thought gnawed at me. It wasn’t like they dissolved into the ground or crumbled into ash when the crystal shattered. They’d left, shambling out of Ebonfall in a slow, methodical retreat, as if they’d suddenly been given permission to leave. But to where? And for what purpose?
The questions wouldn’t stop coming, each one more unsettling than the last. I didn’t want to know the answers, not really. Whatever the undead were doing out there, it couldn’t be good. There were bound to be consequences for what had essentially been a town full of undead suddenly free to do as they pleased. But were they free? It sure felt like they were. One second, they were tearing into the crystal warriors alongside us, almost like they’d been waiting for the chance. Then the next, they were gone, high-tailing it out of the city with Maya in tow.
I stayed awake a little longer, my thoughts a swirling mess of guilt, responsibility, and questions I didn’t have answers to. But eventually, exhaustion won, and sleep found me, too.