Author's Note – Bonus
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On the thirteenth day of the eleventh month, Ereon opened his eyes. There was nothing around him. The Abyss extended in an absolute void— neither light, nor contours, only crushing darkness and silence.
"How long was I unconscious this time?" he murmured, the voice hoarse, trying to cling to the sound of himself.
The answer came from nothing, warm and unsettling, reverberating through the darkness like a deep whisper:
"A month and a half…" it made a slow pause, almost paternal "Then… how do you feel?"
"I feel like my brain is going to explode with so much information… my head still hurts." Ereon squeezed his eyes shut, trying to contain the nausea.
The shadow laughed. It was not a human laugh; it was deep, dragging, echoing like stones rolling in a bottomless abyss. "At least… it was faster than a year ago."
Ereon remained in silence. The sound of that voice seemed to pierce through his chest.
The shadow spoke again, low and heavy intonation, each word falling like an ancient weight: "I know what you are thinking… it feels like you are living someone else's life. But you fulfilled the agreement made with him eight years ago. He got his revenge against the count."
Lying down, facing only the darkness, Ereon murmured:
"Then… does it mean that, this time, you will pay for my death?"
The shadow answered, slow, loaded with tired irony, like wind in ruins:
"Why? Will you miss me? … Ereon, I lived much more than you."
"And do you think they were happy about that?" Ereon interrupted him, the voice still trembling, but firm "They will also need you. Aren't you being selfish… running away from your responsibilities? Tell me: what changed?"
The shadow seemed to breathe inside the darkness, an echo that spread through nothing before speaking: "I could see the beginning of the ages… and their end. But you did not have that chance — it was torn from you. That's why… I hope you succeed this time. Do not keep seeking my shadow, Ereon. Live your life."
The silence returned to weigh. Ereon clenched his fists. "Why me?" he whispered.
The shadow answered, even lower, each word dragging itself through the void:
"You will have to discover that on your own. Our time is ending, Ereon. Remember: family… friends… are important. Do not think you will be able to do everything alone. My mistake was not telling you that before. Or having hidden the truth. I hope… you do not make the same mistakes."
Ereon raised an arm, covering his eyes, but there was no way to hide the sound of tears. In the absolute Abyss, each drop that fell echoed as if the void itself cried along with him.
The voice returned, lower, loaded with an ancient weight, as if speaking not only to him, but to all forgotten ages:
"That's it, Ereon… first let it out. Cry for Diana, who was like a mother to you… cry for Anne, the older sister who gave you support… cry for Nika, who also welcomed you like a mother… cry for Theseus, who taught you to survive when everything seemed lost… cry for Edda, who was like an older sister and guided you in silence."
The shadow made a pause, and its voice returned, even deeper, almost like a lament:
"Cry for your people, torn from you… for the person you loved and could not save… and cry, above all, for Ereon, the one who gave his own life so that you would awaken from the Abyss."
The shadows of the Abyss moved slowly, awakening from an ancient sleep. They rose around Ereon, closing in dense spirals until they enveloped him completely. There was no warmth in that touch, only a cold that penetrated to the bones. Still, the way they surrounded him resembled a hug — the Abyss itself held him, suffocating… but strangely welcoming.
The silence stretched before the shadow continued, now with an almost ritual tone:
"Because this will be the last time you will be able to show weakness."
The presence began to dissolve, each word being swallowed by the void. Still, its voice resounded one last time, deep and melancholic:
"Remember, Ereon… you are my heir. Never forget that."
Silence fell completely, heavy, crushing. Ereon felt the Abyss swallowing him, pulling him beyond the darkness. The cold gave way to a soft, timid clarity, which slowly began to take form.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer lost in nothing. Around, walls covered with ancient runes rose, pulsing in a soft glow, like hearts of stone that still breathed. The air was humid, dense, impregnated with mystery.
This was the refuge of Edda — the place where she hid from the watchful eyes of Odin.
Ereon felt a presence approaching. The air seemed to contract, heavy, as if space itself held its breath.
When the figure entered the room, it found itself surprised — Ereon was not there. For an instant, confusion dominated its face.
Before it could her react, Ereon appeared behind her, silent like a shadow. His hands rested lightly on her neck, but not with violence; the touch was firm, cautious. The low voice carried tension and doubt:
"Who are you? And… how did I get here?"
She answered quickly, trying to remain calm:
"I… found you fallen in the central courtyard. It has been a year since I woke up here. Since then, I have been living in this place. I just wanted to help… please, don't kill me."
After the declaration, Ereon disappeared from the room, plunging the space into complete silence.
When leaving the cabin, he contemplated the vast landscape of the Tavaré Mountain Peak. The cold breeze cut his skin, carrying the scent of stone and distant snow, penetrating like a raw touch of reality.
But it was not only the wind that accompanied him. The sound of blades cutting the air, screams of orphans and echoes of past memories invaded his mind. Ereon remained still, reliving each memory, each life taken in that place. His body seemed light, almost ethereal, but his mind was crushed — he now carried memories of two lives, an invisible burden that pressed his spirit.
Ereon remained still, looking at the horizon, each memory weighing on his mind like waves that threatened to drag him to the bottom. The cold mountain wind cut his skin, carrying echoes of lost lives and whispers of the past.
Then, footsteps coming from the cabin cut his memories. He turned to apologize, but the surprise paralyzed him.
The girl was before him, firm, but with concern in her eyes. Her low and urgent voice crossed the silence:
"You need to come inside. It will get dark soon… it will not be good for someone who just woke up." She took a deep breath, her lips pressed "And the night is merciless."
Her tone was not only a request, but a warning loaded with care and haste. For an instant, Ereon felt the weight of memories give way, replaced by a strange mix of relief and vulnerability.
After night fell, the two were in Edda's old room, the only place where the cutting winds of the mountain did not assail them. The silence was absolute, heavy, as if the very air held itself between them.
The girl rose slowly, her fingers lightly brushing the furniture and the walls covered with ancient runes, murmuring to herself:
"I keep wondering what these writings mean… and what they are for."
Meanwhile, Ereon rose from the dark corner of the room, rigid posture, the shadow of the cloak of the past still hovering in his eyes. His low and firm voice cut the silent air:
"It is better that you do not know. The farther you stay from all this, the better."
The room plunged again into silence, the sound of the wind outside almost imperceptible before the weight of the quietness. Ereon remained still for a few more moments, before disappearing into the shadows of the corridor, silent like the very night.
The next morning, the girl rose and, when looking around, realized that Ereon was not there. Desperate, she ran outside the cabin. The first rays of sun illuminated Ereon kneeling before some tombstones, the traces of the night still visible on his body. An inexplicable feeling crossed her, mixture of reverence and sadness.
She approached slowly, her heart racing, and knelt beside him. They remained in silence, the cold wind beating against them, time seeming to suspend itself.
Finally, he broke the silence, the grave voice, loaded with weight:
"What are you doing?"
She took a deep breath, trying to balance surprise with empathy:
"Apparently… you spent the whole night doing this. Even if I don't understand, it seems important… so I wanted to join."
Ereon rose slowly. The cold metal of the katana reflected the light of the rising sun, and he placed the cloak found in the ruins of the orphanage around his shoulders.
The girl followed each movement with her eyes, her heart tight, and finally asked, the voice trembling slightly:
"Where are you going?"
Ereon kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, the cold breath carrying the mountain wind:
"I have to find some people in the county."
She hesitated, her eyes shining with urgency and fear:
"Can I go with you?"
The silence hovered for an instant, heavy, cut only by the whisper of the wind between the stones of the mountain. She continued, the voice almost a thread:
"I stayed here for a year and nine months, waiting for some family member. No one came… when I was losing hope, I found you unconscious. Maybe it was a sign for me to leave this place."
Ereon turned, the black eyes fixed on the horizon, as if contemplating not only the landscape, but all the weight of the lives he carried. His voice came out low, firm, almost a promise: "I will wait down below."
On the twentieth day of the eleventh month of the year 2035, a week had passed since the awakening of Ereon. The arrival of the royal prince already reverberated through the walls of the county, which rose imposing against the horizon. Each tower, each battlement, seemed to whisper to the wind, carrying the expectation of all that was about to happen.