An Empyrean Pursuit

The damp forest floor, a patchwork of fallen leaves and moss, was all Oriole could see as he huddled beside Caleb. His makeshift runes flickered weakly, a feeble attempt at shielding them from the relentless psychic storm.

Beside him, the Knight of Courage stood sentinel, the blue glow of her armor a beacon in the gloom. Her focus seemed to waver, the unfamiliar landscape of this world tugging at her senses. Oriole could guess at the questions swirling in her mind – how had they reached a place devoid of the familiar hum of Alka's energies?

"How was the other timeline?" asked Oriole, slicing the silence in half. As his words settled, the Knight of Courage seemed to resurface from the fog of her thoughts. She was different – he could tell.