The morning crept in slowly as the sun started to find its way into the sky. Nyra woke up with a grunt, sat up and stretched.
'we survived the night'.
She looked around and found Finn close to the entrance. His eyes were closed as he rested his back against the stone. She smiled gently as she remembered him saying he was gonna be on the lookout. He must have given in to his exhaustion.
They both deserved the rest. It wasn't easy escaping the temple. It was both physically and mentally draining. She sighed and remembered something.
'Status'
☆HOST STATUS: NYRA☆
Designation: Starkeeper
Bloodline: Forgotten Celestial Line (Verified)
Age: 17
Crown Integration: 14%
Stability: Unstable (Fluctuating)
Authority Access: Limited
Synchronisation: In Progress
Celestial Affinity: 66
Strenght: 12
Endurance: 31
Agility: 10
Willpower: 56
Focus: 41
Perception: 48
Mental Fortitude: 44
☆Active Marks☆
Hollow Star Mark
Location: Upper chest
Status: Active
Effect: Enables communication with Crown-Core Entity.
Side Effects: Headaches, star-dreams, emotional bleed, insomnia.
☆Passive Traits☆
Star-Touched
The stars respond to your presence. You have the ability to call upon the stars at will.
Keeper's Burden
You are not meant to rule. You are meant to choose who does. Until then, the crown stays in your possession along with the power it contains.
Residual Prophecy
Fate keeps circling you. Annoyingly persistent. You are fated to walk the path of those before you.
☆Locked Functions☆
Celestial Invocation: ???
Crown Command: ???
Star Alignment Authority: ???
Full System Access: ???
☆ MISSION ☆
●Survival of the fittest
Task: survive your pursuers for the next 24 hours (14 hours remaining)
Penalty: death
Reward: ???
☆Celestial link☆
Candidate: Finn
'Hmmmm, it seems the crown synchronization has increased by 1 percent again'. She had a feeling that every time she uses the power of the crown, the synchronization increases
'You are not wrong' Astrael-Null stirred in her consciousness.
'The more you use it, the more it becomes a part of you'.
'I see. It seems my endurance and mental fortitude had also increased by 1.'
All that running around and violence was bearing some fruit.
She still had to survive the next 14 hours to get her reward from the system. What kind of shitty mission was this anyway. If she got caught she was gonna die anyways, why is the penalty death?? Was the system going to kill her for dying???
'What a mess, I don't get it at all.' She sighed
' I'm just gonna sit here until the time is up'. And just then, her stomach rumbled.
'Oh, come on' that means they would have to go out and hunt for food or search for fruits and berries.
'oh wait, we still have some portions from those guys Finn dealt with yesterday.' Hehehe, she laughed triumphantly in her mind. 'This should be easy.'
"What are you smiling about?"
Finn's deep voice brought her back to reality.
"Uhh, nothing. I was just thinking about how we could just stay here for the rest of the day and not have to leave. We can do that right???"
" I don't think so. It would not be wise to stay in a location for too long. We also don't know if they're using any tracking spells."
"Agh, you are right. I'm starving though" All her hope of playing it safe just flew right out the window.
"Here, let's eat" he said, bringing out some rations and water from his satchel.
They ate and rested for a bit.
The sun was already high in the sky when they decided to continue moving. They packed the little things they had and prepared to leave.
Nyra glanced at the mission again.
(11 hours remaining)
Still a long way to go.
She hoped the reward would be worth it. So far, the system had given her headaches, weird dreams, and an ancient entity with a terrible attitude. A useful reward would be appreciated for once.
The path they followed wound through the forest, narrow and uneven. Tree roots pushed through the soil like twisted fingers, forcing them to watch their footing. Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead, painting shifting patterns across the ground.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
It wasn't an awkward silence.
Finn walked ahead, occasionally glancing behind them to make sure they weren't being followed.
Nyra dragged a branch out of her way and sighed.
"My feet hurt."
"You've been complaining for twenty minutes."
"I've been suffering for twenty minutes."
"What's the difference?"
"It is very different."
Finn laughed quietly. "You are such. A crybaby."
His comment made Nyra pout while she shot him a deathly glare.
The forest slowly began to thin.
Trees gave way to rocky slopes and patches of tall grass. In the distance, hills rolled across the horizon.
For the first time they could see beyond the next few trees.
The world suddenly felt much bigger.
And much more terrifying.
They were really out here now.
No temple walls.
No libraries.
No observatory.
No familiar faces.
Just two fugitives and a talking crown.
"Do you know where we're going?" Nyra asked.
"More or less."
"That's not reassuring."
Finn just shrugged.
"I know where the nearest villages are. I know which roads traders use. I know which places temple patrols are likely to check first."
"And?"
"And we're avoiding all of them."
"Great plan." Her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"It is a great plan." He defended himself.
Nyra rolled her eyes.
Ahead, the ground began sloping downward into a shallow valley.
A small stream cut through the landscape.
Without discussion, both of them headed straight for it.
The moment they reached the water, Nyra crouched and splashed her face.
Cold.
Very cold.
She immediately felt more awake.
Finn filled their waterskins while she sat on a nearby rock.
For a few peaceful minutes, things felt almost normal.
Then Astrael-Null's voice echoed loudly enough for both to hear.
"Someone is coming."
Nyra froze.
Finn immediately looked up.
"How many?" he asked.
"One."
That was somehow more worrying.
A single traveler could be anyone.
A merchant.
A hunter.
A messenger.
Or someone looking for them.
Finn quietly capped the waterskin.
"Which direction?"
Astrael-Null pointed toward the ridge overlooking the valley. He had come out fully now.
"There."
Nyra followed his gaze.
At first she saw nothing.
Then movement.
A figure appeared at the crest of the hill far away.
Too far to identify.
The stranger stopped and looked directly down into the valley.
At them.
Nyra felt her stomach tighten.
The figure remained still for several seconds.
Watching.
Then turned and disappeared over the ridge.
Silence.
"What was that?" Nyra asked.