"Dear Oliver:
By the time you read this, you should be halfway to Nokron. I originally tried to stop you from joining the expedition, but fortunately, you did not listen to me. My child, after you departed, I prayed constantly for your swift and safe return. Now, however, I find myself hoping you walk a little slower, so that you are not buried alongside Nokstella.
Yes, I fear this city will not live to see tomorrow's sun. We have fought tenaciously these past days—truly tenaciously. This morning, we slew the third Astel, yet no one cheered, for we knew it would not change the city's fate.
The night sky has ceased responding to the Night Maidens. The final revelation they received is that the Eternal City will sink into the depths today, utterly destroyed. But do not worry; the Greater Will may destroy our city and our flesh, but it cannot crush our spirit. The people of Nokstella, led by the Night Maidens, shall all escape into a dream. Perhaps one day, we will return to reality from that dreamscape.
The staff on the table is my most cherished creation. I had intended to give it to you before you left—it was your birthday—but... alas, I deeply regret the argument we had the night before the expedition left, which led you to choose to depart without a word. I leave it here on the table, hoping that one day you might return home to receive this late birthday gift.
Finally, though I know you won't want to hear it, I must say this: if the expedition truly retrieves the Fingerslayer Blade, do not ever attempt to use it. Only a god can contend with a god; the Greater Will is not an existence that mortals can touch. I am drying the ink now and praying for you one last time. May you live out this life in peace and happiness.
Your loving father,
Ollivander."
Raven folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope. When the Eternal City fell, the Golden Dynasty and the Carian Kingdom hadn't even been founded. This letter had crossed thousands of years of time to remain preserved until now, yet it had never seen the shopkeeper's child return home.
"Escaping into a dream under the guidance of the Night Maidens..." Raven turned the phrase over in his mind as he stepped out of the shop.
Clang!
Another heavy toll of a bell rang through the city, sounding as if it were urging Raven forward.
Raven narrowed his eyes, gazing up at the towering bell tower in the center of the city. The false stars in the ceiling did not twinkle or move, coating the tower in a layer of deathly, ethereal light.
He stowed his staff and walked through the silent, empty streets, flanked by dark houses on either side. The journey felt as if it had lasted a long time, but it might have been very short; here, time did not move, no wind blew, and the stars did not shift. He walked street after street, hearing only the hollow echo of his own footsteps. The chill of the stone slabs seeped through his boots, quietly creeping into his body and soul.
Finally, he stood before the great cathedral in the heart of the city. The bell tower was built atop the cathedral's roof.
He reached out and pushed the heavy cathedral doors open. The entire structure groaned and vibrated with the sound of ancient clockwork mechanisms.
The interior was originally pitch black, but the moment the doors opened, flickers of pale fire ignited. Statues holding oil lamps lined the space, their flickering light casting dancing shadows across their blanched faces.
Raven approached one statue, dipped a finger into the oil lamp, and frowned slightly after smelling it. It was oil pressed from Viscous Glow-Mushrooms. Its shelf life was not long; clearly, someone had maintained these lamps not long ago.
With his hand on his sword hilt, Raven ascended the stairs. At first, the staircase was wide enough for a dozen people to walk abreast. But once he reached the top level of the chapel, the stairs extended out of a doorway and wound their way up the exterior wall of the building. With only a thin railing for a handrail, it felt as if the path stretched into the cosmos.
The steps grew narrower as he climbed, eventually becoming mere rectangular platforms just large enough for two feet. A single slip would mean falling to one's death. Raven continued his ascent at a steady pace, but a casual glance outward made him stop in his tracks.
He knew where the people of the Nox had gone.
The rooftops of nearly every building in the Eternal City were densely packed with people. They knelt on the ground, hands reaching toward the night sky as if trying to grasp something that did not exist in this world, or perhaps they were simply praying. Because Nokstella was cold and dry with no wind, their remains had not fully decayed. Raven could even see the expressions of longing on their faces.
Withdrawing his gaze, Raven continued to climb, finally nearing the summit of the bell tower. The false stars shone above his head; it turned out those "stars" were individual glintstones embedded into the rock of the ceiling. At the top of the tower sat a massive sphere, its radius reaching four or five meters. It was pitch black, reflecting no light at all, looking like a black hole frozen atop the spire.
"You have finally arrived, traveler not of this world." A strange, multi-layered resonance drifted from the black sphere, sounding like dozens of ethereal female voices speaking in unison with a peculiar rhythm.
"Was it you who commissioned Ranni to find me?" Raven showed no surprise; Ranni's doll had already informed him of the sphere. "Who exactly are you?"
"We are the Night Maidens," the sphere replied in a sing-song voice. "We have waited for you here for five thousand, seven hundred, and forty-two years."
"Just how much do you know about me?"
"And how much," the sphere countered, "do you know about yourself? Who do you believe you are?"
"I am Raven," Raven paused. "Raven of Caria."
"Is that so? You lack confidence in that answer." The sphere let out a soft laugh that vibrated in harmony with the starry sky, causing the glintstones on the ceiling to flicker. "What is it you fear?"
"I fear nothing."
"Liar."
"I..." Raven blinked once. When he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by a blinding white light that forced him to shut them instantly.
Though startled, he did not panic. He moved to activate his Blind Spot skill, but he could sense nothing. Strange sensations flooded his body—stinging, dull aches, soreness, itching... his condition was even worse than when he had first washed up on the beach of the Nokstella Pool.
He steadied his mind and felt something shoved up his nose. He reached out to pull it away, and a wave of world-turning nausea immediately hit him. It appeared to be a long tube that passed through his throat and extended all the way into his stomach. Gritting his teeth, he slowly dragged the tube out, feeling as if his internal organs were coming out with it.
Finally having removed the last of the tube, Raven coughed and gasped for air. His eyes gradually adjusted to the light. He struggled to lift his upper body, squinting at his surroundings, and then he froze.
He was wearing a blue-and-white striped patient gown, lying on an undecorated bed. He was surrounded by white walls painted with latex. A sharp stinging came from the back of his hand; he lifted it to find an IV cannula inserted, the needle buried deep in his vein, leaking a bit of blood from his recent movements.
He tore off the non-woven adhesive tape securing the needle and pulled it out. He saw a white rubber wristband wrapped around his wrist. His movements halted. He violently ripped the wristband off and held it before his eyes to read the text. His hands began to tremble.
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(258 Chapter - Ongoing)
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