Ryne didn't want to feel any more doubt. She wanted to be certain in her course of action, certain that this was what she wanted to do, to claim the soul of the only person she still yearned for and ensure the fleeting moments of paradise for both of them. They would be a lie, of course, but at this point, she would rather live in a sweet lie than face the truth of a world around her being turned to dust. She was afraid, of course, afraid that Inga would refuse as she likely would and that Ryne would have to utilize force. It would be unfortunate, yet she promised herself not to falter.
When her avatar emerged in Lakeland at the stone gates of Fort Jobb, Ryne already made her decision. She felt Inga's presence here, and soon she realized that all her other friends were there as well, much to Ryne's disappointment. She didn't want to face them at all, didn't want to look them in the eyes after this. Granson, Reeq, and Giott were the ones that risked their lives when traveling with her into the empty, while Taynor did his best to keep Ryne sane when she was getting corrupted by Eden and her own loneliness. And instead of becoming the hero they needed now, she would betray them all for her selfish reasons, for the first time in her life…
They were all here. Inga, Granson, Giott, Lue-Reeq, and Taynor, the whole group, gathered outside, slowly and cautiously making their way toward her avatar that remained in Eden's shadow.
"Ryne, you're back, finally!" Reeq was the one to speak, and his voice echoed with excitement. He was always the most naive of the bunch. Ryne was hardly surprised at such behavior from him. "Where were you? We were worried, and…" Even he faltered, perhaps when he finally saw Ryne's empty eyes. With her every choice that betrayed who she was, Ryne felt becoming closer to what one would call a sin-eater, the one of unimaginable power and viciousness. Granson gestured towards Reeq, showing him that he should remain careful.
"Is everything alright, Ryne? "He asked with an echo of concern in his voice. Always the leader, always the one who took charge and pretended to be in control even when he clearly wasn't, and all he knew was falling apart around him. She didn't have it in her to respond.
"Hey, Ryne…" Giott reached out. "You look like you really want to say something, lass, don't hold it in yourself!"
"Please, just…Tell us what's going on!" Taynor added, staring right at her with his pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry…" Ryne said but quickly realized that her voice was too quiet for anyone to hear. "I'm sorry." The girl repeated in a much louder tone, the message that reached everyone at their party. "But I'm not coming back."
"What do you mean?" Inga bravely took a step forward, ignoring Granson's commands; she was not afraid to face her but still didn't understand the grievous ramifications of challenging Ryne. "Please, Ryne, I told you yesterday that I only want to help, and it's true…I know you have no reason to believe me, we hardly even know each other, but I swear that I speak from the heart! I know you might think that you will only hurt others by forcing them to share your problems, but this is not true! You fighting to protect Norvrandt has lightened the burden of so many others, including us. Let us repay you…Please." She pleaded as if she truly cared, truly wanted to help and ease Ryne's pain, but how true was it? Without the memories of the past, Ryne was a nobody to Inga, a stranger who was overtaken by her own power and is now on the brink of insanity. This was all a ploy to calm her down and save her own life; it must have been. But it won't remain so for much longer…
"I'm sorry, but I made my choice…I visited Amaurot last night." Ryne took a deep breath, preparing to unveil her purpose. "After what happened in Ahm Araeng, I felt so angry, so hateful, so…Tired. This constant pain and misery, it's… It's unbearable. It's been year after year after year, and now when I finally thought it might start getting better, it becomes worse…For both myself and the world around me." Ryne's hands shook as she continued to speak. "I can't fight any longer."
"Maybe you need a break?" Taynor spoke with hope. "Maybe together we could…"
"No, we can't do anything, not when the only hope lies in the Source! We are powerless and can do nothing but defend against overwhelming odds, against the beasts which arose from our own people…And this threat won't end until all of them are slaughtered. With each monster we kill, someone's life fades away forever. There is no victory in this fight!" As they stood and listened to her in silence, Ryne finally raised her arm and unveiled a trinket in her hand. A pale green crystal with a constellation of two connected stars upon it.
"What is this?" Inga wondered with fear in her voice.
"Emet-Selch kept a collection of memory crystals that the ascians used, one for every seat. It could remind the sundered souls of their past lives and give them all they need to become an ascian proper. This one was Loghrif's. I brought it here just for you, Inga." She watched the terror of understanding finally emerge in Inga's eyes as she was overtaken by disbelief with her body frozen and mouth wide open.
"No, you can't be…"
"I brought Mitron's crystal as well; it's in Eden's core. Considering that we both share a part of their souls, those crystals will work…They will restore our memories and parts of our identities, enough to remember who we were…Who we are. Then we can stay in Eden together. I promise I will create the most perfect of surroundings for all of us; I will create a small, personal paradise in which we will flourish. I promise…I promise! I know you might not want to do it; maybe you're afraid that your identity will be erased, but…" Ryne chuckled nervously. "Why does it matter when we are all going to die anyway? Once you restore your memories, it will all feel natural for you. You will embrace your past life…And so will eye! We will have reason to be together, to meet the end of the world together, to have something beautiful to remember amidst this constant agony!" Her voice grew louder and more frantic as Ryne realized that there was no chance she would get an agreement out of her. All she could see in Inga's eyes were forming tears. It must have been that of pity for the pathetic creature Ryne had now become.
"No, this isn't right…" Inga shook her head. "Please, Ryne, we cannot just run away like that! We have lives of our own, and we don't need those memories; what point is there in dying alone as we run away from our own people?"
"Because…Because otherwise, there will be nothing but pain." Ryne stuttered. "Please, Inga, it's for the better. It's for both of us…"
"I'm sorry, Ryne, but I can't." Inga shook her head. "I have my own life, the one I cherish despite anything that might come my way…And I don't need a reminder of how it once was; it won't make me happier, and I don't think it will make you happier, either."
"I see… I'm sorry, Inga." Ryne took a deep breath before drawing power from Eden."
"What do you…"
It was too late for Inga to finish.
Drawing upon Eden's strength of light, Ryne charged her avatar and prepared for a confrontation. It might hurt at first, and Inga would despise her for that, but it was for her own benefit. She will be free and have her memories of golden days restored once again, the memories of days that they have sought to recreate, that will be recreated once two become one inside Eden. An array of pale chains emerged at Ryne's command, not unlike those created by the Ascians. They overtook Inga, clutching her body with the strength of the first sin-eater, and dragged her towards Ryne.
"No, no…Stop!" Inga screamed as she was in pain, desperately trying to free herself from the emerging chains, but Ryne wasn't ready to give up just yet. She watched the reaction on the faces of her friends, who immediately drew their weapons. It was a mixture of fear, misunderstanding, and even emerging spite on their faces.
"What are you doing?!" Giott shouted with a shocked voice. Were it someone else, she would not hesitate to strike here and now, but she must have still cared for Ryne to some extent, and having to suffer such a betrayal immediately put her in a state of shock.
"Release her, now!" Granson commanded, his voice full of eagerness and anger, yet the resolve she often heard before was stripped of all the resolve he had when charging into the fray and battling foes, be they sin-eaters or blasphemies.
"Please, stand back!" Ryne shouted. "I don't want to hurt you, I swear, but I need her at my side. I have to…"
She got interrupted by an array of arrows that Reeq launched. None were directed at her, instead trying to hit the chains Ryne created with extreme precision. Some of them hit the mark, and Ryne felt her spell slowly weakening. She didn't want it to come to this, but they left her no choice…The girl commanded one of her chains to separate from the rest and make its way toward Lue-Reeq like a slithering snake. It was the same man that was the bravest when it came to marching inside the Empty, the one that almost remained upbeat and maintained hope even when all seemed lost, even when Ryne herself was starting to get consumed by her agony…Now the chain forced him to the ground, forced to lose control.
"I won't let you take her!" Giott was next to strike. She held her hammer in her hand as she was ready to strike at the chain before her. Always so eager, always fearless, and ready to protect her friends and all innocents, her resolve inspired Ryne ever since they met. But what was resolved when forced to battle against the overwhelming power of sorcery? The protective aura of light was enough to explode and force Giott aside, even though Ryne felt her spell gradually weaken once again.
"I'm sorry…But this has gone too far!" Finally, Granson himself joined the fray, raising his claymore up to cut down the chains of light one after another. Ryne expected such an attack. Hence her trying to enforce her chains as much as possible. It was strange, remembering the day that she first met Granson…She was powerless and broken, lying in her bed, still struggling to process the nightmare she had gone through. He was a stranger to her, yet he was there to console her and make her feel safe. He remembered how he shared the stories of his beloved, that was taken away from him by a powerful sin-eater. He understood the feeling of loss back then, but he had no chance of understanding the corruption and anguish Ryne went through now. And still, she could feel his strikes upon the chains she created, right as they got weaker and then…One of them is broken.
"Damn, it…" Ryne whispered as she realized that when the adventurers combined their strength, even her magic wasn't omnipotent. "I said… Don't interfere!" She screamed before unleashing a bolt of pure light upon Granson. She wasn't sure whether she hoped it would hit or miss, but it pierced the man's shoulder and made him growl in pain. With Ryne's every action, she would only dig her own grave deeper…
And there was no point at which this was more evident than when Taynor joined the battle. Ryne was too focused on Granson to notice at first, but soon fire and brimstone descended from the sky, crushing her chains. Ryne wasn't prepared for a magical onslaught, especially once so powerful, and was caught by surprise. The girl could feel cracks forming in the chains she created; combined with the strikes of others and Inga's painstaking resilience, she could feel the loss of control.
"Ryne, I beg of you, stop this madness!" Taynor pleaded as he still continued to cast fiery spells. "We can talk this through; there is no need for us to fight! We've been through so much together… Don't you remember how we protected the Crystal Tower from the Emissary, how we fought against the beasts just a few days ago…Does this all mean nothing?"
"It means…It means everything to me, but it doesn't matter when we can't even fight anymore, can't win against this plague…So please, run away and don't interrupt me!"
"No, never!"
With those words, Taynor empowered his staff and unleashed another fiery wave upon her chains. Ryne had no time to prepare and could only moan as she felt the fiery waves upon her essence. This was shortly before Granson, and Giott rushed to the chains once again and plunged their weapons into them, bringing it to the point at which Ryne could not resist anymore.
"Aaargh!" The girl struggled in pain as Inga's chains got shattered, and the woman was free from her grasp.
"Are you alright? "Reeq asked cautiously as Inga slowly got up.
"Yes, I'm fine…Ryne, I only want to…"
"Enough!" Ryne shouted before unleashing a wave of light that pushed all adventurers away. Before they could go back, the sin-eater created an aura of light around herself and Inga, leaving the two alone. "I said I won't hold back. I said… Don't you dare come close! "Ryne's voice grew spiteful as her own avatar gained power and transformed once again, once again bringing her avatar closer to that of a humanoid sin-eater, forcing Inga to watch with despair in her eyes. But this wasn't the end of it. Ryne drew upon the power from Eden, some of which she 'borrowed' from Amaurot's aetheric structure. This helped to empower her creation and push it beyond its previous limits.
Under her command, four more sparks of light emerged outside the barrier Ryne created. They were minor at first, but as each drained its energy from the source above, they finally took form. All of them resembled her fallen companions, the Warriors of Darkness…A mystel mage with an ebon staff behind her back merged into her back as if someone plunged the stuff into her, an elven astrologist with cards morphing into his body, two of which even covered his eyes. The next was a two-headed amalgamation with both heads resembling elves. One of their pale arms was holding a rapier, while another claimed a tome. Finally, the strongest of them was the humanoid sin-eater that held an aetheric gunblade in his hand. He resembled Thancred, but something was different about him…He was covered in scales that dripped with power, much like the fear Ran'jit could perform with his serpent; it seemed that the form it took was also representative of the girl's inner fears…Nevertheless, it was more than enough.
"Hold them back!" Ryne commanded, forcing the four sin-eaters to make their way toward adventurers who had no choice but to fight. Granson was brave enough to clash his blades with Thancred, taking upon Ryne's most powerful creation. Giott was the one to battle Y'shtola, carefully evading her spells of pure flame and jumping around the plains. Reeq focused on Urianger, avoiding the spells that he empowered by cards, trying to pierce each and every one of them with an arrow. Taynor had to withstand the amalgamation of the two twins that launched spells of red magic onto him, challenging the power that Taynor now controlled. The sin eaters would not kill them or even harm them too much, but they gave Ryne what she needed the most. Time. Inga was left alone in this circle of light, allowing Ryne to focus on her. She still clung to her weapons, even though Ryne's actions caused her to begin a slow retreat to a spot behind, as far as she could with the barrier.
"Ryne, I don't want to fight you! I… Won't fight you!" Inga shouted, even though she still clung to the sword at this fateful moment. She was cornered and scared, all because of Ryne. The girl struggled to even look at Inga, knowing the crying shame she felt and the utter selfishness of her actions. But the sooner they get done with it, the sooner it will become easier for both of them.
"Please, Inga…Gaia. I need you! I know you truly want to save this world and continue the battle, you're naive, and you truly think it will mean anything…But soon, you will understand just how futile it is!" Ryne shouted as she launched one pacifying spell into Inga after another, wearing the woman out as she was forced to evade Ryne's strikes.
"I know exactly how dire our situation is…" Inga tried to control her breath. "But it doesn't change anything! I have parents, friends, and those who I would like to protect! Even if we are all truly fated to die, as loathe as I am to believe it…We go down together like one family, like one group of friends, one world!" She still refused to understand, and there was little that could change her mind. "You must understand this better than anyone…You fought together with the Warrior of Darkness. You were one of them! You saw them die, and…" Tears fell from Inga's eyes. "I never knew any of them personally, but from tales and their action alone, I know enough to say that they would never have given up. They would fight against all odds even if their fate was to perish…Hell, before they came along, everyone in Eulmore was all but certain that we were going to perish, but now…"
"You know nothing about them!" Ryne felt the pain aching in her heart as she thought back to Thancred's relentless battling against the sin-eaters, of Edwin's tireless struggle against the lightwardens, and even as the light infestation consumed him, he was ready to stand against the ascian that sought to destroy him, always smiling in the face of death.
For a smile better suits a hero.
Inga never knew them, and she shouldn't have been right, yet she was. This wasn't what Edwin would've wanted, isn't what Thancred would've wanted.
"You don't know them. You don't! I was there as they traveled, as they fought, thinking they could save this world and their own, and how…" The primal rage that infused Ryne once again forced the cracks of light to emerge on her body. She couldn't control this strength forever. There was almost no time.
Her rage gave form to an arrow of light that Ryne launched at Inga, making the woman shout and fall to her knees. With a pounding heart, Ryne noticed that this spell was created a little stronger than the rest. Blood was pouring down Inga's shoulder as she fell to her knees and dropped the blade. Ryne had the power to force her to submit here and now, even kill her if she wanted to, but wounding was too much. It made Ryne pause as she realized that this was both a mistake and an opportunity.
"I'm sorry…I will make it right!"
With those words, Ryne unleashed her chains once again while Inga was vulnerable. They were instilled with white magic, and their presence would both help to soothe the wounds and prevent Inga from moving away. A perfect solution in all regards, and, hopefully, the last one Ryne would have to try.
"Ah…No, stop!" Inga's pleas were pointless as the chains surrounded her, allowing Ryne's avatar to swiftly make her way toward her victim.
"I'll try to make it quick, just don't resist!" She knew those pleas were meaningless, but she would try her best either way. Ryne took out the memory crystal, which was meant for Loghrif, getting ready to unleash the memories of Amaurot that were hidden within it. Just like that, her mind will forever be tainted by the deep memories etched upon her soul. She will see everything, her ascension to the seat of Loghrif, her time at the office and as the overseer of all terrestrial life, her seeing the Final Days descend upon the land, everything up to the very moment of the traumatic sundering that erased countless lives. A burden no one deserves to bear, yet here she was, enforcing upon another something she had wanted to escape through her entire life.
The crystal pulsed with aether. Its energy would soon be set free; it felt the presence of a soul that resonated with it, the soul it called out towards.
"Aagh…I can't…" Inga screamed as she felt the pain those pale chains inflicted on her, the effect wasn't desire, but Ryne's fear and nervousness must have gotten to the magic that served as an extension of her own being. All she needed was to unleash the crystal's energies while Inga was within her reach. This would be enough to restore her memories and bring back a semblance of Gaia Ryne witnessed in her own memories. Why did she still hesitate?
Ryne looked around, watching her friends fight the phantom scions. Her creations were strong in their own right, but the adventurers didn't back down. Each of them fought valiantly, be it with a blade or spells of magic. Even the corrupted creatures before them did little to break their resolve. She knew that as long as she restrained the phantom scions, there was only so much they could do. Eventually, they would fall.
"I'm sorry, Inga…But I have to do this! This is the life you would want, I…Know! Just like Mitron knew!" Her voice grew distorted, influenced by the sin-eater's corruption. At this point, Ryne wasn't sure if it was her or Mitron speaking through her avatar. His old desires found themselves a new vessel, and until they were fulfilled, they would continue to serve as a driving force within her.
"I have the life I want!" Inga screamed loudly as she still continued to battle her prison, much like a caged animal that couldn't submit to its master. "I will not let anyone take it…If you have to enforce it upon me, then do it, but I will never accept it!"
"Then you… You've made your choice." There was no reason to prolong this, nothing that stopped Ryne from infusing her there and then, nothing except the ever-present hesitation. Even as she looked around, Ryne could see the adventurers triumphing over her phantom creations, pushing them to the ground. Despite their imposing looks, she never infused those phantoms with enough strength to triumph. Even now, she was not strong enough,
"You don't truly want this!" Inga continued to shout, though this time, her voice was not infused with fear. She stared directly into Ryne's eyes as if she saw something there that made her certain of how this would end. "I know…You could've done everything if you wanted to, with or without killing us…" A few tears fell from Inga's eyes. "I…Wish I could understand you. I truly do…And I think this is what you want, too. If you infuse me with Loghrif's memory, you'll have me go through a similar process. You will need someone who's corrupted by…" She struggled to breathe as the chains grew tighter. "By the ascian soul and memories…So you wouldn't be alone…But please, just…" She coughed as Ryne realized that she simply couldn't force herself to make her grip any tighter. "I beg of you, listen…I know what you're going through is…Unfair…And I don't know if it can ever be undone, but…I would fight…For my life, as well!" Despite the pain she felt, Inga continued to speak up with determination and pride, not willing to succumb to her, the pride that made Ryne's heart shrink, realizing where she stood. She stood in the position of Emet-Selch who watched as Edwin slowly got consumed by the light, taking joy in the fact that someone would have to relive the tragedy he himself went through, to feel the pain and torment, to become a cog in the process of rejoining and a fallen hero for the world to know.
"S…Stop, you don't under…"
"It doesn't matter…What I understand or not. I know all of our lives…Are worth fighting for, and I won't give it away…Even to you!" The chains grew weaker as Inga finally restored her breath. "It is my life, and I will live it on my own terms!" Those words pierced Ryne's ears like an agonizing echo. Just like when she stood amidst Ahm Araeng, staring into the face of Ran'jit, her keeper, who refused to let her go. How, for the first time in her life, she stood up to the embodiment of her fear of restraint and captivity that she spent her entire life running away from. Has she become that which she fought all this time, be it Emet or Ran'jit?
"No…This is all wrong!" Ryne clutched her head and screeched as the chains fell apart due to the lack of energy. "WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!" The girl fell to her knees, shaking violently and uncontrollably, feeling as if her entire body was about to be broken into endless pieces. "I am…I…What have I done…"
She felt the world around her crumbling; everything was turning to pure dust. There was no end to it. The visions of light emerged from the ground, forcing Ryne to try and close her eyes, only to be met with the same horror again and again. Countless people consumed, over and over, the uncontrollable anguish in a soul of a child that she could no longer contain. A girl who yearned for companionship, to find someone to walk her path, someone who would at least partially understand her…Before her own mind fractures and descends into insanity.
"Ryne…" Inga reached out to the girl. "I know you blame yourself for everything that happened, but I…I forgive you."
Those words made it all stop. Made Ryne suddenly open her eyes as everything around her turned into pure light, not unlike how Eden's core looked when it was overtaken. It was just her there, overtaken by silence. An avatar with distorted perception, the one that grew smaller with every second. Her skin turned more natural, her hair regained color, and the dress was finally restored. There was a measure of peace in her mind, the one she unknowingly reached out for. Was this how the end felt? She should know. She was on the brink twice and still came back…Came back scarred and traumatized, yet came back nevertheless. Maybe there was no point in coming back this time…The last times brought her much more pain than joy.
"Ryne." A stern voice echoed from behind, forcing her to turn around. It was the spitting image of Thancred towering above her and unleashing a small shadow that was nevertheless enough to cover her. His eyes gazed at her with the same look of disappointment and scorn she remembered from last time.
"Thancred…Go on, then." Ryne took a deep breath and braced herself. "Tell me all you want to tell me. Hate me, despise me, tell everything that I did wrong about how much of a failure I am compared to her!" Tears emerged in her eyes, they couldn't be real, yet in this mindscape of hers, they were indistinguishable. "I know I shouldn't have survived there; it should've been Edwin or you…Anyone from your world. Every single one of you was a hero who has gone through war, loss, and pain, able to distinguish themselves in their own right, and I…I spent most of my time walking in the shadow of another, and when I finally got the chance to do what I wanted, to be a little bit selfish…I ruined everything." She fell on her knees before Thancred. "I wanted to make her an ascian, make myself an ascian because I…I didn't want to be alone. I was ready to sacrifice her life for my own pleasure; I…"
A warm touch finally stopped her, making Ryne freeze on the spot and look up. Thancred patted her on the head with the same gentleness the real one did. She didn't want to look at him, didn't want to live through any more mockery and torment, but this time he was smiling.
"What are you…I…"
"It's alright." His kind voice soothed the girl's heart. "And you are wrong. You are a hero as much, if not more, than us. It's one thing to die on the battlefield and another to give your life for a world, knowing that you resign yourself to a crippled existence just so that others, most of whom you don't even know and will never know, could have a chance. Many would choose peaceful oblivion if they knew what was to come, but not you."
"It was born out of the spur of the moment. If I were there now…"
"You would've done it again." Thancred spoke with utmost confidence. "Because among all of your virtues and powers, your strongest one is your empathy, your heart, and your care for others. Even when the world doesn't treat you with the same kindness…The truth is if you truly wanted to turn Inga into the woman you remember her as you would've done it already. You haven't because you know it is wrong, and you don't want another to suffer your fate. You might have tricked yourself into believing…But it was never what you wanted.
"I…" Ryne fell to the ground p, barely able to contain the stream of her tears. It was a moment when her shame became too great to resist, contrasting it with the relief she believed she didn't deserve. Ryne knew Thancred would never see her like this, but this recreation on her head showed that she still cared for his opinion, always imagining what he would think in scenarios like this. She couldn't speak anymore, nor did she want to, only a primal cry of a child that both wanted to live and was terribly afraid of it.
"Remember G'raha's words? They were never about putting your life at the expense of others, but they were about acceptance. About knowing that there will always be people to support you, people who would do anything to make you happy, people for whom you are a friend…And there is no shame in accepting their help. No shame in accepting the life you have and making the most of it. Because one day, it will get better…There was a time when I could hardly believe such a thing myself, but I'm past that now, and I understand his wisdom full well." With those words, Thancred extended his hand, which Ryne took with her own weak and shaking arm. He helped her get up, putting his arm over her shoulder and helping Ryne remain on her legs. He wiped her tears, seeing the spark in her eyes once again. "So what is it you choose?"
"I…I choose to live." Ryne uttered, looking into the pale abyss as her hope began to spring in her heart.
"Then let us return. Your friends await, your world awaits…Your future awaits."
The phantom realm began to dissipate as Ryne closed her eyes, feeling the silhouette beside her turn into a formless aether. From here on, it was her path to walk.
It was time to make things right.
…
A mistake too terrible to bear.
How could she even think that this was a good idea? To betray all of her friends after all they have done for her, forcing one of them into becoming someone she didn't want to be…After seeing them plead, after seeing Inga's acceptance and kindness, her desire to understand, and her genuine sympathy Ryne finally understood the simple truth. She didn't need any crystals to be with her and her other friends, for they were ready to fight by her side at any point, day and night, without fault or cowardice in the slightest. This failure to believe in their resolve was on her and on her alone, and Ryne knew she had to make up for it. She wondered if this was the despair the Unsundered ascians felt…The solitude, the pain, the inability to have anyone in the world around them who would understand, they were ready to destroy and take much to see their dream restored, as did Ryne. But one question remained, were they ever aware of the monstrous crimes they committed? Did Emet-Selch even realize how far he has gone in his methods?
Perhaps one day she would know the answer, but it wasn't that which mattered now. When Ryne understood her folly, she was quick to undo the summoning of minor sin eaters and released Inga. She helped her friends get back to the fort, where she would immediately begin healing what wounds they gained in the ordeal, a first step in a long journey of making up for the trouble she caused. Her first focus was Giott, who received some minor burns when battling her recreation of Y'shtola. Reeq remained with them. He helped to gather some necessary ingredients.
"Ah, damn, it still hurts a little…" Giott sighed as she touched her skin while lying beside a stone wall. Ryne was certain to administer a few healing spells to enhance the herbs and potions that Reeq brought.
"Hey, you should know that you can't just heal burns in an instant like that." Reeq sighed and crossed his hands. It wasn't a big deal for them, and the wounds they received were far grievous, yet it was all the same for Ryne. The shame cannot be tossed aside as the sheer thought that those wounds were inflicted by her was enough to make the girl's agony stir.
"I'm so, so, sorry…" She spoke up, those being the only words she could master in an apologetic and meek tone. "I will make sure your wounds heal in due time, I promise."
"Ah, it's alright." Giott chuckled. "I've had worse. And don't apologize too hard; all that matters is that you came around in the end."
"But if I wasn't so reckless, none of this would even have happened." Ryne shook her head. "No, simple apologies won't be enough…"
"Come on, don't be hard on yourself," Reeq reassured her as he put some of the herbs on the ground. "Haven't you seen anyone else do something as reckless as this? I mean, surely you have. You know me, after all!"
"And yet no one else possesses the power I do…"
"Speaking of which, you ended up being pretty responsible with it. No settlements were destroyed or anything, just a squabble at the outskirts… I'm sure the last thing people would need is more reasons for them to fear."
"You're far too kind. I was on the brink of doing something unthinkable, something horrendous, something I could not come back from…Well, couldn't have; we're I just a bit more confident in this plan."
Her musings were interrupted by her other friends approaching. Taynor and Granson returned from the other part of the fort, where they helped the remaining wounded that had been there since the monsters attacked, as well as made sure to calm everyone down and reassure them that Ryne would not cause any harm. Now, however, the worst was behind them, and Ryne could see proud smiles emerge on their faces.
"And have you brought anything for that hellish burning I have to suffer?" Giott said with playful annoyance, crossing her arms.
"I see you're doing as well as ever." Granson chuckled. "I was almost starting to get worried for a moment."
"Bah, hoped to get rid of me? Not so fast."
As Ryne watched their banter, finally, a smile crept up on the girl's face. Finally, she could breathe in relief and realize that everything was alright. None were hurt, and she made the right choice before any irreversible damage could be inflicted upon her friends. Now it was clear that whatever she was to do back then, she would come to regret it very soon, and it was for her friends that she achieved this moment of lucidity.
"Hey." Ryne shivered as she heard Taynor's echoing voice from behind, making her turn around slowly, avoiding eye contact with him. "Ryne…"
"Did you want anything?"
"Well…Just wanted to say that I'm glad that you're alright." Taynor smiled. "I feared, you know? First Nyelbert, then Cerigg…I was afraid that I would lose you as well. It wouldn't be fair for you to meet such an end after all you've done to save all of us."
"Maybe, but…You don't need to flatter me." Ryne sighed before looking down to the ground. "I've made a lot of mistakes, and if not for me, we would've never gotten distracted and steered away from our course of resisting the Final Days…I allowed weakness. I allowed selfishness. All because I thought of the Exarch's words, of Emet-Selch's actions, and if I should take on an opportunity similar to his, for I dreamed of it ever since joining with Eden and Mitron…I gave in to the temptation of an ascian soul and…"
Before Ryne could continue, she could feel Taynor's hands around her avatar, making her freeze and look up. She couldn't truly feel his hands, but she could feel Taynor's aether surrounding her, radiating playful warmth and rejoice. It shouldn't have been possible to feel it, not through the limited means that were available to Eden, and yet the sight of his smile and his eagerness for closeness was enough to make her heart melt. Once again, she felt tears emerging in her eyes, even if this feeling was nothing but a force of habit she retained from the times she wasn't yet as corrupted.
"I'm so sorry…"
"Please, it's alright," Taynor spoke in a soothing voice. "You made a mistake, but it will never be enough for us to forsake you after all we've been through. Surely you know that…It is terrifying to not only lose those close to you but be forced into solitude where you have nothing but your thoughts to ponder. It would be cruel for any of us to judge you even if we wanted to!"
"I…I…"
"All is well, truly; there is no need for words. We understand…And we forgive you." Those words were what Ryne needed to hear, even though she would never demand them outright.
"Forgiveness is a tricky thing…" Granson sighed. "There were many days that I've spent hunting the beast that killed my beloved. But in the end, I learned that this beast was much of a man as I was and that the pain he suffered was not unlike mine. I'm not sure if forgiveness is the right word…But I feel no hatred toward him anymore. Everyone deserves a second chance, and the countless sacrifices you've made for our world vastly outdo whatever mistakes you have made, Ryne. You are forgiven."
"Thank you…I promise I will make it right when I can." Ryne smiled and finally looked up at the adventurers. Whatever happened before, they were still friends, and there was no doubt about that.
"No need to hurry; I'm sure there will be more opportunities down the line," Granson said before shifting his gaze towards the gates where a lone woman sat and pondered on the past encounter. "Though if you want to begin now, I suggest you speak with Inga. I'm sure it will make you both feel much better."
"Yes, of course…" She was too ashamed to speak immediately after they returned, seeing how she suffered the most from Ryne's transgressions. Now was the time to change that. As soon as Ryne got the chance, she got up and made her way toward Inga, as reluctant as she was.
When Inga saw Ryne approach, she immediately raised her head with a smile on her face. Some part of Ryne wanted for her to have at least some anger or doubt on her face so Ryne wouldn't feel as awkward apologizing as she would now.
"Are you…Doing alright?" Ryne asked as she stood beside Inga.
"Well, is anyone alright with how the world is doing now? But without accounting for that…Yes, I'm not too bad." Inga shrugged playfully. "Come here, sit down; I don't bite." She was in a surprisingly cheery mood. The relief must have been just as strong for her as it was for Ryne. After the girl sat down, Inga looked at her kindly, gently reaching out and taking Ryne's hand, much like back in Rak'Tika. "And you? Does it…Feel better, at least?"
"Well… "Ryne sighed. "Only by a bit. I'm still ashamed. It still hurts. There is much energy I drained and the memories…But at least I'm with you and others. It's enough for now."
"Well, that's something, at least." Inga sighed. "I'm sorry that it's only now we reached this point. I should've…"
"It's not your fault!" Ryne interfered. "It was my fault that I didn't listen to you, Taynor, everyone else…"
"I don't mean this." Inga continued. "You were right about one thing; you had no reason to trust me, trust that my desire to help was genuine."
"I… Didn't expect someone to be so eager to help a person they don't know for long, didn't understand why they would you…It was all a blur."
"It has to do with my family as well…" Inga stuttered before bracing herself. "I mentioned my parents in Eulmore, but I didn't tell you that I had a brother. He was four years older than me, and it was he that showed me how wonderful it is to adventure, even in a world as bleak as ours. My dear Herbert…" A tear fell from her eye, making Ryne want to offer some sympathy, but she quickly realized that it would be wise not to interrupt Inga's tale. "He inspired me, even though he was always rebellious against our parents…They wanted their children to stay in Eulmore all the time so as not to get into danger, but he thought it to be worth the risk. Together we traveled much of Kholusia, even going as far as to slaughter sin eaters, discover dwarven settlements, help those in need…He inspired me to become an adventurer of sorts, as well." She spoke of him with awe, getting slower with every word as if reluctant to get to the heart of the story. Ryne suspected where this was going, once again reminding her that no one in this world escaped the burden of loss.
"Did he die? Or perhaps…"
"He did, but it wasn't a quick death. On one of his voyages, he went without me; he came back with a grievous wound left by a sin-eater. Eulmoran medics tried to help him, but it was too late. He was infected. Everyone was grieving, father, mother, me…We cried for days as we had to watch him become weaker, slowly lose his mind, waiting for the time he enters a state where his mind will be all but gone. He asked for us to put him down before he became a monster, but none of us could muster it…I remember my parents coming to Lord Vauthry and begging to allow Herbert to ascend into his paradise."
"Did he accept?"
"No." Inga sighed and shook her head. "They begged and begged, but he was deaf to their cries. Now that I know what Vauthry truly did to the people in his paradise…Maybe it was for the best."
"He must have refused to keep up images." Ryne theorized. "Your brother must have been a disobedient individual in Eulmore's eyes, considering how often he left…It wouldn't do well for others to see his ascension."
"Probably. At least it spared him the fate of being turned into bloody meol." Inga scoffed. "But that meant that one of us had to finish the job…And we couldn't. We left him in Kholusia in shame; I knew he would've preferred a quick death, but…I just couldn't." More tears streamed down from Inga's eyes. Ryne reached to wipe them, soothing the unruly woman.
"I'm sorry."
"To think that he might have lived today…Can you imagine? No more sin-eaters, the Ascians defeated, and even with this new colossal threat, our world reached heights we never even dreamed of before! He would've been delighted and would've adventured even more. And I would've walked by his side…I thought about him again when I met you. Knowing that my previous reincarnation was the one to cause the flood was bad enough, but…I saw you going through something similar. Saw you slowly losing your mind because of something I couldn't yet understand, and now that you've told me, I do! As much as I can, anyway…" Inga sighed.
"Then allow me to apologize for what I did, too. I shouldn't have stalked you like this, shouldn't have lied…"
"I understand why you did this. I think I might have done the same. Or not…The point is, I don't experience what you're going through. I can't know,"
"I could've forced you into it…"
"But you didn't, no matter how tempting it was." Inga smiled through her tears. "Thank you for that, thank you."
Ryne didn't see much point in thanking her for simply not committing a grievous crime she intended to commit, but perhaps there was merit in resisting her temptation. A certain level of strong will that she still maintained even after all that had happened.
"You…You all gave me another chance." Ryne finally felt at ease. "If not for my friends staying by my side, I would've gone insane a long time ago, but now…I can fight it for another day. Another few days, maybe."
"And we will help you fight it, that I promise. I couldn't save my brother…But I won't see another share his fate." Inga spoke with resolve before reaching out and hugging Ryne, much to her surprise. This time, however, the girl was ready to return the embrace. "Oh, and one more thing." Inga chuckled. "You being madly in love with me and all that…Is you liking other women natural? Or a Mitron thing?"
"What?" Ryne raised an eyebrow awkwardly. "No, no, it's just a coincidence. I knew it before Eden."
"Hah, funny," Inga said as they moved away from each other. "I found not too long ago that men and women infatuate me, so…You know, funny that even without all this insanity, we are compatible."
"Hah…" Ryne laughed awkwardly. There truly was some cruel irony in that. She believed it would be hard to find a woman interested in a potential romance, even though she dreamed of having a spouse and a family one day, growing more common as she grew in age. And now that she finds someone like this, they have fate writing rather twisted connections between them. "I wish we didn't meet under those circumstances, then."
"Well, it's not all that bad," Inga reassured her. "Don't get the wrong idea. I was just curious. We didn't tell each other everything when we first met and had a rough day today…But how about we start over? Just as friends, I mean. Maybe if we get to know each other better, it will be easier to distinguish me from Gaia? I think we made a good start on that. We just have to try a little more, don't you think?"
"I'm afraid we don't have enough time with all that's happening around us, but maybe…"
"Come on; we'll find the time. And what better place to get to know someone than in the heat of battle, anyway."
"Huh…Well, if you put it like that…"
Before they could finish, a lone soldier ran beside them, shouting as loudly as he could, trying to warn everyone around them.
"To arms, to arms, Captain Lyna is sending all able fighters to Eulmore's defense!"
"Eulmore…" Inga's lips quivered as fear emerged in her eyes; her parents must have still been there. "What happened?" She shouted, garnering the soldier's attention.
"Grim tidings from Eulmore…A terrifying beast has formed in the city and began to ravage everything in its sight. We just got the message and need to provide the aid."
Another battle was on the horizon, the one that hit a little too close to home for some of them.