The forest of delirium was born of death. It had once been a battleground, a desert where humans and ashfen had fought for supremacy. Residual magic left behind by the great wars bloomed with the passage of time, turning it into a vast woodland no one dared approach. Hollow trees had taken root in sand, syphoning the bodies and souls of the departed dry in order to grow. Myth had it that if someone wandered too close, they would be led astray by vengeful spirits or sparks of magic. It was truly an accursed place.

It also happened to be Leylin’s favourite spot for midnight saunters.

The winds had whipped up a sandstorm tonight, and their whistling blended in with ghostly laments. Spectres roamed this part of the forest, seeking to sate formless desires of their past selves. Some spirits tried to escape the confines of the trees, and their struggles had twisted the charcoal barks into uncanny shapes. All of them craved eternal sleep. Few received it.

Leylin came to rest beneath a tree and the spirit within grew silent. The journal in his hands glowed silver amid the darkness as he skimmed through the pages. The vague figure of a man took form, standing on the paper. Beneath the white mask he wore shone the silver of his eyes.

“Andre is stirring and Caelus has already betrayed us,” said the man. “He’s looking for the boy.”

“I already have plans to delay Andre,” Leylin replied. “As for Rane, he’ll be with me, so there’s no reason to worry.”

“We’re running out of time. Release him. I’ll send one of my people.”

“You do not order me around,” Leylin snapped back. Nora swirled around him and the soul within the tree shrieked in agony.

“That wasn’t my intention.” The man with the silver eyes paused and looked over his shoulder. “You can handle Rane then. I’ll be going silent for a while. I believe I’ve attracted suspicion.”

“That is fine.” Leylin calmed. “Rane needs more work to be ready. Then we can proceed as planned.”

“When you reach Silyra’s borders, let me know.” The man with the silver eyes turned to leave.

“Sydell is dead,” Leylin said. “Just thought you should know.”

“Good,” replied the man without stopping. The glyph’s light faded and Leylin smirked.

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He put the journal back in his breast pocket and headed deeper into the heart of the forest, where the wind spun into an unending tornado of sand and souls. The air currents parted to let Leylin through. He couldn’t see far, but he had traversed this desert countless times after it became a battlefield. He knew the way. In the eye of the tornado, all was calm. It was the safest place for one of Leylin’s most prized possessions, the lone sapling growing from a blue, radiant gem.

“Leylin… Leylin!” The soul trapped inside screamed, its voice as twisted as the branches that held it. “You promised to kill me! I beg you, end this.”

“Perhaps I will, brother.” Leylin smiled longlingly. “Answer my questions and you can be free.”

“What is it? What? Ask me anything!”

“Have you truly forgotten? It’s the same question each time.” Leylin toyed with a wisp of flame, rolling it between his fingers. He brought it close enough to burn off a few leaves, giving Ravenlock a taste of sweet, liberating death. “Where did you hide your journal?”

"My book…” Ravenlock lamented. “My research…"

"So close to freedom. It's up to you." Leylin broke off a twig and Ravenlock screamed in pure ecstasy. "All I need is a location. Then you can leave this world for good. Just like you’ve always wanted."

Ravenlock laughed, then his laughter died down to weeping. “You can’t have it. Not you.”

“Even in death, you resist me. And for what? You had your chance to save the world, and you failed. Must you deny me mine?” Leylin withdrew his hand and the pain Ravenlock felt went with it, leaving him with nothing.

“No, no!” Blue light flashed from the gem hidden between the roots, and a tiny icicle cut Leylin’s cheek. “It cannot die. Try, and you’ll plunge the world into chaos!”

“You didn’t care for this world when you were a part of it, Ravenlock. Why care now?” Leylin wiped the blood from his cheek and sighed, letting his head hang. “Even after so many years, you know just how to crush my hopes. What about the capital's defences then? A man like you must have left a backdoor when creating them. A way to slip inside unnoticed."

“Impossible! It’s tied to the will of the archmages. You can break through… But to sneak inside you’d have to kill them first.”

“Then it’s not impossible. What about spacial magic? Would it be detected?”

The soul remained silent, and the branches of the sapling swayed as if blown on by an invisible breeze. “I… I…” Ravenlock struggled with the words. “I don’t know.”

“You never fail to disappoint me.” Leylin sneered before turning his back.

“No!” Ravenlock’s soul shrieked. “Don't leave me! You can torture me a bit, make me suffer… Just don't leave me alone in nothingness!”

Leylin adjusted his collar and wiped the sand off his clothes. "Until we meet again, brother. Enjoy the fate you’ve chosen."