A hand gave him three taps on the shoulder. Avad turned, finding himself face to face with Aloy. She spoke, but the music and revelry drowned out her voice, so she gestured for them to go talk somewhere quieter. They deftly slipped through the crowd, managing, somehow, to go unnoticed. It was probably thanks to the noise and the drink that kept everyone distracted.
"Everything alright?" the monarch asked.
"Yes, yes... I wanted to tell you that now is a good time to show you something we left pending when we arrived here... Do you remember?"
"Yes, of course I remember." he responded, unable to tear his gaze away from her eyes. "Are you sure it's a good idea?"
"Of course, this is the best time, everyone's at the party, but if you think it's too risky, which I understand, we can leave it for later."
"Actually... I'd love to understand what you tried to explain to me while Teersa prayed for us." he admitted. "I want to go." With that, she took his hand, and they began to walk up the path. Accompanied by the moonlight, they ascended while Aloy occasionally lit her torch to check the perimeter. Then, she startled Avad by grabbing his wrist and pulling him to hide behind one of the wooden houses. "What's happening?" he whispered, confused.
"Lansra. She's coming down from the Sacred Mountain." she replied. The woman passed by grumbling about the "inappropriate" party they had thrown.
"But... wasn't everyone at the party?" he asked with concern, thinking that what he was about to do could be considered a great, or rather, enormous offense. They emerged from their hiding spot and continued climbing. It was then that the Nora noticed his unease and took his hand, saying, "No one will see us. Considering that practically everyone except Lansra will be at the party and that I have experience infiltrating guarded places, it's impossible for us to get caught. Still, in the unlikely event that things start to get complicated, I promise we'll turn back." The Sun-King realized that it was really important to her. That, combined with her experience sneaking into places unseen, gave him confidence. After all, she had saved him from Dervahl, undoubtedly one of his most skilled enemies, and had snuck into the middle of the spectacle at the Sun Ring to rescue him from certain death. "Besides, if they get stubborn, I can get even more stubborn." they both chuckled.
"News about it reached me when you went to the embassy." he responded with a smile. Then he added, "I'll follow you wherever you take me, Aloy." in a confident and solemn tone. She smiled back at him, and they continued their journey until they reached the door. She turned on her torch to see who was there. She sighed, "Do you see anyone?"
"Yes... It's Resh... Nobody important, we just don't get along. He's further ahead. Come on, let's go in. If you trust me, we'll be able to get through without any trouble." they entered the room quietly. Avad was completely focused on her, waiting for any signal from her to advance or stop. Then, they stopped in a corner. "When I count to 3, we'll walk very quickly making as little noise as possible to the end of the hallway," she instructed. He nodded. The hunter activated her torch and watched. The man walked slowly ahead. He was nearing a fork. The young woman fervently wished he would turn right and leave them a clear path. "One..." she began the countdown. Each moment he was getting closer. "Two..." he reached the corner and, fortunately, turned it. Perfect. Aloy waited a few seconds before saying the final number, "and... three." They both moved quickly until they reached the door leading to the great sacred chamber. Aloy placed her hand on the metal door's circle, and it opened. They entered the room, closing the door behind them, then proceeded slowly through the room. "Wait for me here." she ordered, causing him to stop at the bottom of the stairs leading to the large door.
"Identification required." a metallic voice said, startling the Sun-King. The door glowed red as a laser of the same hue seemed to scan it. Numerous holograms, such as one of a spiral-shaped ladder and an image of a woman very similar to Aloy but older, appeared before her. "Genetic identity confirmed." the voice said as the lines forming triangles on that colossal door lit up in blue. "Access granted. Greetings, Dr. Sobeck. You are authorized to proceed." the door opened, illuminating the fog created by smoke, drawing a blue triangle in the air with the reflection of the inner light. "Wow..." was all he could say. The door was majestic, just like its way of opening.
"Are you coming?" she asked, extending her hand to him. He nodded, and, grasping her hand, he climbed the stairs with her. They entered silently, and the door closed.
"W-wait, it's very dark..." he whispered, frightened. He could barely see anything, fearing he might stumble or that something might be lurking, hidden in those cold corridors.
"Oh... right... You'll need to see the same as me..."
"Welcome to ELEUTHIA, cradle-9 batch-1." the voice spoke, breaking the minister silence that pervaded the place. He was startled by the sudden sound, bumping into Aloy. He took advantage of finding her in the darkness to grab the hunter's hand tightly so as not to lose her.
"What is that strange voice...?" he asked, bewildered.
"It's a machine, but you don't have to worry. Look." she said, rummaging in one of the leather pouches she had attached to her belt. "Thanks to this, you'll stop seeing this place in such a sinister way. I'm so used to it that I forgot it's practically darkness for you." then, with both hands, she surrounded Avad's and let a small object fall. He touched it.
"It... it's... that thing you're carrying..." he expressed, feeling a small triangular-shaped object between his fingers.
"Yes, it's a focus, it'll give you that 'second sight'." she explained. Then, she pointed to his temple, gently touching it with her hand, "You have to put it right here."
"R-really?" he asked, shocked. "Will I be able to see what you see...?"
"Correct, and so this place won't be so dark for you," she explained.
"Okay... Here I go." Then, he slowly brought it closer to his head. When it was close enough to his skin, the device adhered and activated, making its characteristic sound. The instant Avad felt the device slip from his hand and come next to his ear, stuck to his skin, he startled and closed his eyes.
"It's okay, nothing's wrong." she whispered softly while taking both of the Carja's hands, "The first time I got scared too, but you have nothing to fear. When you're ready, open your eyes. I warn you, it might make you a little dizzy..." He did so, seeing how the appearance of the place had changed drastically. It still looked cold and lonely, but filled with purple and blue lights. He exclaimed as he looked around in amazement.
"Is this what you always see?" he gasped, his gaze jumping from one place to another.
"Yes... At first, it might be a little strange, but then you get used to it. However... I'll need you to give it back to me when we leave. It's my spare torch, and I can't risk being without one halfway through a journey or mission. I left all the others at the Base, and I don't feel comfortable unless I carry an extra one with me."
"Sure, sure, I'll give it back to you later." he replied, looking around.
"To analyze the terrain, you press the torch. Thanks to it, you can detect if there are people, animals, machines, or files nearby. Shall we continue?"
"Yes, of course, let's go." the Nora approached a door and made a wrist twist in front of a bright circle, blue and pink tinged with red. The door opened.
"Batch-1 access control." the synthetic voice said.
"There's a message here that confirmed to me that... I don't have parents... I can show it to you, and then I'll take you to the place where I was 'born,' if you can call it that. You have to activate the focus," she began to explain while pointing at the device, "and look at this device until the images appear." she continued, pointing to another device that emerged from the ground.
"Okay... let's go…" he replied, doing as she had instructed.
"That's it, you just keep your gaze-"
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, stepping several paces back, surprised by an expanding shockwave composed of black squares that made everything disappear, leaving a strong impression on him. She held onto him because he nearly fell backward. He turned to the Nora, relieved to see that she hadn't disappeared along with everything else, since she also carried a torch. He watched in awe at the recording.
"I just wanted to hear your voice again," Gaia concluded. Then, the entire room reappeared before his eyes with the same expanding wave that had made everything vanish.
"I... uh... understand that this has to do with your birth and your journey to the Forbidden West, but... I can't quite grasp much beyond that." he admitted.
"Don't worry, there's a lot of new things, and it's hard to understand, but come on, I think this will help you." she then took his hand, and together they walked into another room, a much larger one with a kind of round display case. "Let me explain... This is where I was... created." she began, pointing at the tube. "Thousands of years ago, there lived a woman named Elisabeth Sobeck, who was a researcher. She was the one who created a system for us to live now."
"Is that the woman in the image that appeared when you went to open?"
"Yes, that's her. Fixing what she created is what led me to the Forbidden West... The thing is... I'm sort of a copy of her and... Remember when I mentioned I have a sister?"
"Yes..."
"Well, she and I are identical copies... just that... since we were raised in different places, we have different personalities." the Nora turned to him to see Avad looking at her as if she were speaking another language. She rubbed her forehead, "Zó explained it very well..." she said thoughtfully, "Ah, yes. Beta, who would be my sister, and I, are like two trees that come from the same seed. Elisabeth," she continued explaining while showing him a picture of her, "is like the seed, and Beta and I are the two trees, identical." she finished explaining, showing him a picture of her sister.
"Oh... it's... it's like you, but it's not you..."
"Yes... At first, I felt the same... In fact, I didn't take it too well... Imagine one day you find out that, no, after searching for so long, you don't have parents, you're a copy of a person who lived thousands of years ago, and also, suddenly another day you see a person who is identical to you, who is also a copy of the same person you were replicated from, so you feel... replaceable... like just another object that can be manufactured... In fact... they treated Beta like that..." she explained, hugging her elbows with her gaze fixed on the ground. The monarch looked at the image of her 'twin' then looked at the incubator, and then fixed his gaze on Aloy's eyes.
"Well..." he said, taking her hands, "I want you to know that even if there's someone who physically looks identical to you... you're irreplaceable." a big smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you, Avad. I really appreciate it." she replied gratefully, squeezing the Carja's hands. They stayed silent, looking at each other for a moment.
"Well... we can go back now."
"Is there anything else you want to show me before we leave?" she asked, looking around.
"We can take a detour before leaving, if you'd like."
"Sure, I'd love to." and hand in hand, they explored the facilities. He couldn't stop looking in all directions, amazed by the colors and holograms in every corner. Suddenly, the Nora noticed a door that caught her attention. It was closed, but fulgurite had sprouted on it. She could probably ignite it with her lance and make it explode, opening the door. It was likely something she had missed the last time she was there, as it might not have crystallized yet, going unnoticed.
"Hey, wait, let's see that room." she suggested as she slowed down, pulling the king's hand.
"I've never been in there." he smiled excitedly.
"Great, let's discover something together." she said, approaching the door. Aloy took out her lance and decisively plunged it into the mineral, causing sparks and blue discharges with the lighter. With a strong pull backward, she pulled out the lance. Then, she extended her arm, putting it between the door and the monarch, and walked backward, pushing him with her.
"It's going to explode." she warned. And so it did. The fulgurite exploded with a loud noise. He jumped. Small rock fragments flew through the air, leaving a hole in front of them through which they could enter. "Do you want to go in first?" she asked, gesturing with her hand. The king nodded and entered the room. Holograms faintly illuminated the room. It seemed like a resting place, as if it were someone's bedroom. There was a bed and a desk with an electronic device that the ancients called a computer. On the walls rested some books arranged on shelves, which were somewhat decomposed due to the humidity. Aloy turned on her torch and scanned the place, noticing that next to the computer desk, on the floor, there was a file they could view. The Nora grabbed Avad by the wrist and led him to the table. Then, she knelt on the floor to better examine it. Next, she scanned it and shared the information she was seeing in real-time with the monarch so they could see it simultaneously. The file was called "Fireflies in the Field."
"Hello." said a female voice. Her tone felt melancholic, "I record this to preserve my memories, in case someone will listen to them later on. When I was a teenager, I used to go with my family to a small house we had in the mountains. It was a very peaceful place, far from the noise of the city. I used to take my music player with me while I went out to see the stars, lying in the field on the family estate. Some winters I used to go alone, especially when there was a meteor shower. I wish I could have gone back there before all this happened. I'll never forget that night when I was lying in the field watching the night sky while listening to one of my favorite melodies, when a huge group of fireflies took flight in front of me. It was wonderful, like being in the middle of the starry sky. I hope, if Gaia manages to repopulate the earth, future humans can enjoy simple things like lying in the grass listening to music." Then, the voice stopped speaking as a music from an instrument they didn't know flooded the room, filling it with a warm melody. At that moment, numerous points of light appeared before them, illuminating the room with a warm golden color. Aloy looked up, meeting the eyes of the king illuminated by all those little stars, who gave her a welcoming smile while extending his hand to help her up. The hunter squeezed his fingers tightly as the Sun King pulled her to her feet, only that when she had fully stood up, Avad gently pulled her closer to him. She fell into his arms and looked at him, confused. The monarch gently intertwined her fingers with one hand and placed the other on her waist.
"Do the Nora usually... um... dance?" he asked timidly, marveling at her beautiful emerald eyes illuminated by the points of light, while gently caressing her hand with his thumb.
"What? I... I don't know how to dance." she replied uncomfortably, slightly leaning back and placing both hands on Avad's chest as she stretched her arms to push away.
"It's okay, don't be afraid, I think you might like it. I wouldn't suggest it if I thought you'd feel bad." he whispered affectionately, "Just... let yourself go, hug me, and listen to the melody." at that moment, she stopped resisting and, placing the hand she had free on the Carja's shoulder, let herself be guided. She was convinced she was going to make a terrible fool of herself, but he had risked accompanying her to a land where there were huge chances of being rejected, and he had trusted her even to climb a Tallneck despite his fear of machines. It was the least she could do. The positive part was that at least he would be the only witness to her disaster. They swayed from side to side to the rhythm of the romantic melody. Avad pulled her gently with smooth and sweet movements, unable to take his eyes off the face of the young woman, illuminated by the fireflies that had joined the stars, creating an image he would never be able to erase from his mind. Aloy turned her eyes to him, meeting the tenderest gaze she had ever seen, adorned with his rosy cheeks and all those points of light. Slowly, her insecurity disappeared, starting to truly feel comfortable surrounded in that warm embrace. Letting herself be carried away by the music, they synchronized. They closed their eyes. Everything around them disappeared. It was just them and the music. They hugged each other tighter, bringing their bodies together, feeling the pleasant warmth of each other. Then, the Nora rested her head on the king's shoulder. They danced slowly until the song ended, leaving them embraced in silence in that place that had ceased to be eerie for him. Aloy hugged him tightly.
"Avad, I... I really liked it..." she admitted shyly, sliding her hand down the king's neck until she reached his nape, "I... well, I really loved it... Thank you." Aloy added, making the king smile.
"I'm really glad..." he replied, hugging her tightly.
"It hasn't been that bad..." Their gazes met, and the Sun-King gently caressed her face.
"Thank you for granting me this dance, Redeemer." he said solemnly, making an elegant bow, almost bending down to her feet. She smiled, and the monarch took her wrist, making her execute a graceful turn.
"How could I refuse the Sun God?" she replied, raising her eyebrows. They both laughed.
"I think... maybe we should start heading out." the king said afterward.
"I've never enjoyed being in a place like this before, but... you're right, it's best if we leave, lest we run into Lansra again."
The massive door opened, allowing them to pass back into that cavern illuminated by thousands of candles and the blue light from within, until it closed again, leaving them once more in the sacred chamber, illuminated only by the warm glow of the offerings. They descended the stairs hand in hand and walked in silence to the exit, hoping not to encounter anyone. Aloy had scanned the area again, seeing that Resh wouldn't be a problem.
"Do you... want to go back to the party?" the Nora asked.
"You don't want to go, do you?" he replied, reading it in her expression.
"But... you're the guest, and it would also be good for your image."
"I think my image has improved a lot for today," he smiled, "But... may I know why you don't like parties?"
"Well..." she said, looking at the ground as she walked, "I'm used to being alone, or with little company... Even though I've met and made friends, deep down I'm still an Outcast. I don't say this because people reject me, as they don't now, but it's a big contrast for me to have so many people, so much noise..." She scanned the area with her focus. It seemed that neither Lansra nor any other Nora were around, at least for the moment. "The Nora didn't want me, Avad, not until that door opened for me in front of everyone." she explained, pointing backward with the palm of her extended hand. "I never did anything wrong to them, never deserved that scorn. Only a few were kind to me, and... half of them are dead." she expressed with pain. Avad took her hand. "Do you see this?" she asked, placing her index finger next to a small mark on her forehead. They stood facing each other as he looked at the scar. "One of the Nora children threw a stone at me when I tried to be their friend as a child. No one said anything to them, but if you're Nora and you happen to steal someone's bow, even a measly bow, by the time you realize it, you're already exiled... And yet, now they bow before me, but I'm still the same person as before, the one they recently turned their backs on and called 'the motherless pariah.'" He gently stroked the mark. Although Aloy harbored no resentment toward them for their deplorable behavior in the past, some scars from her childhood were clearly still there.
"I understand what you're saying, and... I'm sorry." he replied, taking her hand.
"Don't worry, I don't hold a grudge against them, it's just those kinds of acts that bother me, especially if everyone is watching me..." She added, "In part, I can understand why they marginalized me for not having a mother... For the Nora, it's very important to have a mother to teach you, and... I guess they thought that for some reason, my mother would have wanted to get rid of me... so... if even my mother didn't want me, why would they want me?"
"No one deserves to be rejected for something they haven't done." he whispered affectionately.
"Then, I guess we're both in the same boat." she pointed out. He smiled.
"That... that's true." he replied. Then he added "We can go somewhere else if you prefer." Aloy smiled as they resumed their walk.
"Look, we can stop by to say thank you and then head to a quieter place, if you'd like." she suggested. The Sun-King nodded, and so they did. Upon leaving the Sacred Mountain, they returned to the party to thank the High Matriarch Teersa for the initiative of the celebration.
"It's the least I could do." was her response. After saying goodbye to some Braves they came across, they left the village and called for the Strider, riding to the outskirts of Rost's house. They covered the last stretch on foot, taking advantage of the decent weather. Far from the bustle of the party and the rush of the palace, they could peacefully enjoy the walk back home. The afternoon had definitely been a success. The Nora had been somewhat wary of Avad at first, but gradually they had accepted him, or at least had stopped looking at him with suspicion or contempt. Aloy looked at him. He seemed so happy, something that really made her feel good. It was clear he loved walking in the snow, keeping his gaze fixed on his steps, which crunched through the night frost, and he never stopped smiling.
"It's been an incredible afternoon." the king commented with a big smile. It seemed he had read what she was thinking.
"Truth be told, it went better than I expected. I had the confidence that some would accept you, but I feared others might be disrespectful towards you."
"Yes... I have to admit, I was very nervous, and the idea of the party, risky as it was, speech included, turned out well. I think we've made great progress."
"I think so too." she agreed.
Since they had eaten quite a bit during the celebration, as soon as they arrived home, they lit the fire together and then went to bed.
"Ah... I'm exhausted." he sighed as he lay down under the blankets after putting on the thick socks Aloy had lent him the night before.
"It's been a pretty long day, indeed. We got up really early, and the day has been eventful." she replied as she snuggled up beside him. "Besides, some very important things happened."
"Yes..." he responded, recalling his 'conversation' with Rost. "I'm glad you finally know... everything I wanted to tell you that day when we were on the tallneck, and... I didn't have the courage to do it." Aloy gently caressed his face.
"It wasn't lack of courage." the Nora countered. "You are an amazing person Avad… I don't understand how anyone could treat you like that and... make you feel that way..." He looked away.
"The important thing is that it's over... We have to move forward, or... at least try." the huntress embraced him tightly.
"And I'm here to help you." the Carja immersed himself in her arms, wrapping his around hers. They remained silent for several minutes.
"Hey..." he softly called out after a while, careful not to wake her in case she was already asleep.
"Hmm?" she responded, opening her eyes.
"No... it doesn't matter, you were asleep, right? I didn't want to wake you... forget it, it's nothing."
"I wasn't completely asleep, and even if I was, I'm not now." she laughed. "Is there something on your mind?"
"Yes... There's something I want you to know." Aloy looked into his eyes, illuminated by the warmth of the hearth. "I want you to know that... even if there were a thousand or two thousand clones of that woman you showed me... you're not some kind of object... And... even though there might be other people who resemble you physically, you're irreplaceable, you're different from all of them... you're unique and someone very special, especially to me."
"Wow, thank you... I-I didn't expect that." Aloy kissed his forehead and nestled against his chest with a big smile on her face. "Thank you so much, Avad." she expressed again, very grateful, hugging him tightly.
"I would love to meet your sister someday," he said.
"I would love for you to meet her someday too." the Sun-King smiled, pleased to have made her happy as he stroked her red mane, until they both fell into a deep sleep.