Chapter 28: Lira and Kael’s Journey

Night had long fallen over the fortress, and the darkness seemed to weigh on Alaric like an oppressive shadow. His body, covered in cuts and bruises, ached with every step, but it was nothing compared to the mental exhaustion that overwhelmed him. After days of fighting, loss, and hard choices, only one thought drove him: finding his friends.

Kimpa Vita had followed his instructions. While he sacrificed himself fighting the guards and creating chaos, she had discreetly freed Kael, Lira, and her fiancé, Luther. They should be outside the fortress now, safe. But as Alaric approached this long-awaited moment, a strange anxiety gnawed at him. His heart pounded faster. The reunion he had been anticipating for so long was within reach, yet something felt off.

Alaric crossed the last crumbling gates, his hands trembling with exhaustion, his breath shallow. He spotted them in the distance, a small group gathered at the edge of the forest, outside the dark walls of the fortress. Kael, Lira, Kimpa Vita, and Luther. They were there, alive. That was all that mattered... or was it?

Yet something in the air felt heavy. Alaric, weakened, struggled to keep his thoughts clear. Every step toward them felt increasingly difficult. It wasn't just the pain from his battered body. Something else was weighing him down.

When he finally approached, Kael was the first to notice him. His eyes widened in surprise. Alaric smiled faintly, expecting a warm welcome, but Kael didn't move immediately. His gaze was perplexed, as if he didn't recognize him at first.

"…Alaric?" Kael murmured, incredulous, before a wide grin spread across his face. "It's you, isn't it?! You're alive!"

Alaric nodded weakly, his lips curving slightly. He felt relieved, happy to hear his friend's voice. But before he could say a word, Lira spoke. Her voice, usually soft and comforting, was cold, almost distant.

"Alaric?" She furrowed her brow, as if scrutinizing someone she barely recognized. "Is it really you?" she asked, suspicion lacing her voice.

Alaric froze. He had expected some surprise, of course. A year had passed since they had last seen each other, and he had changed greatly, both physically and mentally. His body had grown, his features had hardened, and his strength had multiplied. But he hadn't anticipated this... this distance.

Lira stepped back slightly, as if reluctant to come too close. Her gaze was fixed on his injuries, his bloodied clothes, his face marked by recent battles. Her eyes were filled with doubt, as if she were searching for the young man she had once known.

Kael, however, didn't dwell on those details. He rushed toward Alaric, embracing him with an energy Alaric no longer possessed. "We thought you'd never come back! I... I can't believe you survived all this!" he said with genuine relief.

But Alaric felt only emptiness in return. He weakly hugged Kael, but his mind was already elsewhere. He was still looking at Lira, hoping to see some shift in her expression, something that would remind him of the camaraderie they once shared. But she remained frozen, arms crossed, her face stern. And the silence between them grew, widening like an invisible chasm.

"It's really him, Lira," Kael insisted, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "It's Alaric."

But she shook her head, as if that wasn't enough to dispel her unease. "It's not...," she hesitated, searching for the right words. "It's not really him, is it?"

Alaric felt a weight settle in his chest. He knew he had changed. He felt it with every sword strike, every decision he had been forced to make to survive. He wasn't the same as he had been a year ago when they had all set out on this quest together. But hearing Lira say it out loud was like a cold dagger plunged into his heart.

Kimpa Vita, who had been watching from a distance, slowly approached. Luther, her fiancé, followed closely but stayed a step behind. Kimpa had seen this transformation in Alaric from the beginning. She had sensed it. Even Luther, though he didn't know Alaric personally, whispered to his wife:

"He's changed… He carries something dark inside him now. Like someone who's seen too many wars…"

Kimpa nodded. She knew it too. Alaric's aura was no longer that of a young man seeking adventure. It was that of a warrior marked by violence, by the need to kill to protect those he loved. A man who carried death with him.

Alaric, close enough to overhear their whispers, lowered his eyes. Every word, every glance he caught reminded him of a painful truth: he was no longer truly the man he had been. He had saved his friends, he had fulfilled his mission, but at what cost? Lira's gaze had become that of a stranger. Kael, even in his joy, couldn't understand what he had endured. And Kimpa, despite everything, seemed to be the only one who truly perceived what he was hiding beneath his exterior.

"So, what do we do now?" Kael asked, trying to inject some enthusiasm into the situation. But even he could feel the tension.

Alaric opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He didn't know. Saving his friends had been his only focus for the past months, and now that it was done, all that was left was a hollow void in his mind. His voice seemed to have abandoned him, smothered by exhaustion and the weight of his choices.

Kimpa Vita moved a little closer, breaking the silence. "Alaric…" she said softly, trying to catch his attention. "What's the plan? We need to move quickly. Reinforcements are coming, and you need medical attention."

Alaric looked up at her, but his mind was foggy, as if her words were bouncing off an invisible wall. He couldn't think clearly anymore. His body was on the verge of collapse, and his mind wasn't much better.

"Alaric?" Kimpa Vita repeated, this time with more urgency. She could tell something was wrong. "I can heal you, but it will only delay the inevitable. You can't keep going like this."

But Alaric, lost in his thoughts, wasn't really hearing her. The dull pounding of his heart echoed in his ears, drowning out the reality around him. He had found his friends, but the euphoria he had expected wasn't there. There were only strange looks, whispers about how much he had changed. The gulf between him and his companions felt wider than ever.

Kimpa Vita gently placed a hand on his arm, pulling him slightly back to the present. "Alaric, we need to leave. Lira, Kael, and Luther are safe, but we have to move."

Alaric nodded slowly, but deep down, he knew something had broken that day. He was no longer the person they expected, and they were no longer the friends he had hoped to reunite with.

And as he walked with them, the persistent feeling of being a stranger among his own friends only grew stronger.

***

The journey back to the guild had been long and painful. After losing Alaric to the abyss, both Kael and Lira were devastated.

They had returned to the guild in hopes of finding support, perhaps reinforcements. But when they entered the guild hall, they were met with cold indifference.

The guild official, usually calm and composed, raised an eyebrow when they tried to explain their situation. "Mission to Ebony Mountain?" he asked, flipping through the records. "There's no such mission in our logs."

Kael's voice shook with anger. "But we were sent there! We lost Alaric! You can't tell us it doesn't exist!"

But to their shock, no one in the guild seemed to remember sending them on the mission. They were met with skeptical looks and whispers as if they were imagining things. Disillusioned and heartbroken, they left the guild, unsure of what to do next.

On their way back, they met a man—Gobinot—who appeared kind and willing to help. He listened to their story with interest and offered to guide them. At that time, Gobinot seemed to be a benevolent figure, someone who could offer the answers they were so desperately searching for.

"We've been through something similar," he said, his tone soft and reassuring. "I can help you find the truth."

With nowhere else to turn, Lira and Kael reluctantly agreed to follow him, not knowing the darkness that lay ahead.

***

Lira

 Class: Archer Scout

 Level: 16

 Skills:

 Precision Shot: Capable of shooting with great accuracy, even under difficult conditions.

 Piercing Vision: Can see in the dark and penetrate magical illusions and disguises.

 Stealth: Expert in stealthy movements, able to move undetected.

 Herbalism: Knowledge of medicinal and toxic plants, useful for healing wounds and preparing poisons.

 New Skill: Shadow Mastery: Ability to use shadows to her advantage, camouflaging herself or setting ambushes for her enemies with increased efficiency.

Kael

 Class: Sorcerer

 Level: 15

 Skills:

 Light and Illusion Spells: Can create blinding lights and illusions to disorient enemies.

 Magic Shield: Able to cast a protective spell that absorbs physical and magical attacks to a certain extent.

 Elemental Manipulation: Can control basic elements like fire and ice, with limited power at his current level.

 Magical Knowledge: Knows about magical creatures and ancient artifacts, useful for deciphering magical texts and identifying objects.

 New Skill: Subtle Magic Detection: Enhanced ability to detect subtle magical energies and complex spells.