Night fell without warning.
There was no sunset.
No golden light.
Only a slow fading of what remained—until the world was swallowed by darkness.
Elian didn't remember how far he had walked.
His legs moved on their own, carrying him away from the ashes of Aerith, away from the memories he couldn't bear to face. The path ahead was nothing more than a narrow trail cutting through an empty field, lit only by a pale, distant moon.
The wind followed.
Silent.
Unseen.
But always there.
"You're still here," Elian said quietly, not looking back.
A soft breeze brushed against his shoulder.
"Yes."
He clenched his jaw.
"Why?"
The wind didn't answer immediately.
It circled him slowly, like it was choosing its words.
"Because you are not alone."
Elian stopped walking.
His fists tightened.
"I am," he said. "Everyone's gone."
The air shifted—gentler now.
"Not everyone."
Elian laughed bitterly.
"Then where are they?"
No answer.
He exhaled sharply and kept walking.
The night grew colder.
The path led him toward a forest—dark, quiet, and still. The trees stood tall like shadows frozen in place, their branches barely moving despite the wind that lingered around him.
That was strange.
The wind… wasn't touching the forest.
Elian slowed down.
"Why is it so quiet?"
The breeze around him faded slightly.
"This place… rejects me."
A chill ran down his spine.
"What do you mean 'rejects'?"
But the wind had already begun to weaken.
"Elian… be careful."
Then—
Nothing.
The wind was gone.
For the first time since everything began—
He felt completely alone.
Elian swallowed hard.
"Great…" he muttered, trying to stay calm. "This just keeps getting better…"
He stepped into the forest.
The moment he crossed the boundary—
Something changed.
The air felt heavier.
Not like the storm before.
Not violent.
But controlled.
Like something was watching… and waiting.
Crunch.
A sound behind him.
Elian turned quickly.
Nothing.
Just trees.
"Okay… not funny," he whispered.
Another step.
Crunch.
This time closer.
"Who's there?!" Elian shouted.
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Not the wind.
Not distant.
But right behind him.
"You shouldn't be here."
Elian spun around.
A figure stood in the shadows between the trees.
Tall.
Still.
And unmoving.
His eyes widened.
"Who are you?"
The figure stepped forward slowly, revealing a man cloaked in dark fabric. His presence felt… wrong.
Not dangerous.
But unnatural.
"I should be asking you that," the man said calmly.
His voice was steady.
Too steady.
Elian took a step back.
"I'm just passing through."
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Passing through a place where even the wind cannot enter?"
Elian froze.
"How do you know about that?"
For a brief moment—
The man smiled.
But there was no warmth in it.
"Because," he said quietly,
"I am the reason it cannot."
The forest grew colder.
Elian's heart began to race.
"You… what?"
The man raised his hand slightly.
The air shifted—
Not like wind.
But like it was being held still.
"Tell me," the man continued, his gaze locking onto Elian,
"why does the wind follow you?"
Elian hesitated.
He didn't know if he should answer.
He didn't know if he could trust this man.
But before he could speak—
A faint whisper returned.
Weak.
Barely there.
"Elian…"
His eyes widened.
"The wind…?"
"Run."
The man's expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
"Ah…" he murmured. "So it still speaks to you."
Elian didn't wait.
He turned and ran.
The forest seemed to close in around him as he sprinted through the darkness, branches scraping against his arms, roots threatening to trip his every step.
His breath grew heavy.
His heart pounded louder than his thoughts.
"Where do I go?!" he shouted.
The wind flickered around him—unstable.
"Forward… don't stop…"
Behind him—
Footsteps.
Calm.
Steady.
Unhurried.
"You cannot outrun something you do not understand," the man's voice echoed through the forest.
Elian pushed harder.
"I don't care!"
The wind surged weakly, guiding his path, turning him just before he collided with trees, pulling him away from unseen danger.
But it was fading.
Fast.
"Elian…" it whispered again.
"Listen carefully…"
"I am listening!" he shouted.
There was a pause.
A final breath.
"Trust no one… who silences the wind."
And then—
It disappeared.
Completely.
Elian stumbled forward, nearly falling as the last trace of the wind left him.
"No… no, don't go…" he whispered desperately.
But it was gone.
The forest fell into absolute silence.
Then—
A hand grabbed his shoulder.
Elian froze.
"You should have listened sooner," the man said softly behind him.