As we walked, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease that the priestess’s words had left me with. Was someone intentionally keeping me from my memories? And if so, why?

Vayren charted a course for Akana, the city at the center of the valley. It will take us two days, according to Vayren, and we only have to camp out once as long as we make pace. Either way, It’s a good opportunity to try out my new bedroll.

“So Rin, how long has it been since you have seen your family?” Veronica asked, kicking a pebble down the road as she walked.

Rin let out a deep sigh, her eyes growing distant as she thought back. “To be honest, I don’t know. I spent so long in a cage I didn’t really keep track of time.”

“Do you know the date you were captured?” Vayren inquired.

Rin’s face adopted a stupefied expression as she spoke, “What’s a date?”

“Wait, do the tribes not use the sovereignial calendar?” Vayren asked, surprised.

Rin shook her head. “No, we don’t really keep track of time like that. We follow the cycles of the moon and the seasons.”

Veronica frowned, her confusion apparent. “How do you keep track of important events then? Like celebrations?”

Rin shrugged. “We just remember them. Or we use natural occurrences like the blooming of certain flowers or the migration of certain animals as markers.”

As we continued to walk, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe for the simplicity of Rin’s people. It seemed like such a peaceful way of life, unencumbered by the constraints of time. But then again, perhaps my memory loss was a blessing in disguise. Maybe I had once been tied down to the trappings of modern society and had yearned for a simpler way of life.

Lost in thought, we made our way toward Akana Valley, the sun setting behind us as we set up camp.

“So, what do we do once we find the tribe of the pheasant?” Veronica asked, her eyes flickering with interest.

Rin shrugged. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”

Vayren nodded. “Perhaps we should observe their customs and see if they can offer any assistance. We don’t want to barge in there and cause offense.”

Veronica nodded in agreement. “That’s a good point. We don’t know anything about their culture or traditions.”

As we finished up our meal and prepared for bed, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread creeping over me. Everyone else had already fallen asleep, but my hair stood on end. Suddenly, with a brisk snap, the once roaring fire quelled. I bolted upright, my heart pounding in my chest. The darkness was absolute; the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

I bolted upright, my heart pounding in my chest. But once again, the darkness was absolute; the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

“Guys?” I called out into the night, my voice shaking. “Are you all right?”

There was no answer. I strained my ears, listening for any sound of breathing or movement. But the silence was complete. My ears began to ring, building pressure in my ear. Terror gripped me as I realized I was alone. I fumbled blindly for my pack, my hands shaking as I searched. Grasping the hilt of my sword, I shakily drew it. The darkness stretched on unceasing.

Suddenly, a soft whispering sound reached my ears. It was a language I didn’t understand, but it sent a chill down my spine. I slowly took a step back, clutching my sword tightly in one hand and my sheath in the other. The whispering grew louder, and I realized that it was coming from all around me. I spun around, looking for the source of the noise, but there was nothing. The darkness was all-consuming, and I couldn’t see anything beyond a few feet in front of me.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the whispering stopped. I was left standing alone in the darkness, my heart pounding in my chest. As I stood there, trying to catch my breath, I heard something else. It was a soft rustling sound, like someone moving through the underbrush. I turned towards the sound, my sword raised and ready to strike.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the darkness, their face shrouded in an ornate hooded cloak.

“Elise,” I croaked, my mouth going dry.

The hooded figure looked up, and it was, indeed, Elise, reappearing once again from the abyss. Her pale, deathly appearance had worsened, and every breath she drew sounded like an ethereal shriek escaping from the gates of hell. But what struck me the most were her hands: they held a staff adorned with a crimson gem at its tip. The light from the gem shimmered in the night air as though it was alive, casting flickering shadows on the ground.

“Elise,” I breathed out, my heart pounding in my chest. “What are you doing here?”

She merely stared at me for a moment before pointing towards a path that seemed to stretch into eternity. “Follow me,” she said softly in that same sibilant voice before turning and walking away without another word.

I hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to follow her down the path. We walked in silence until, eventually, we reached a clearing filled with strange creatures. They were unlike anything I had ever seen before, with long and slender bodies. Their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and their movements were graceful and fluid.

Elise led me towards the center of the clearing, where a group of these creatures were gathered around a large stone altar. Atop the altar sat a glowing crystal pulsing with an eerie light that seemed to seep into my very being.

“Take it,” Elise hoarsely groaned. Gesturing towards the crystal. I hesitated, fear and apprehension gripping me. After all, this was the woman who had been haunting me for weeks now.

I didn’t want to take anything from her, but I could feel the power emanating from the crystal, beckoning me forward. Finally, I stepped forward and reached out toward the crystal. But as soon as my fingers touched it, Elise and the creatures around us suddenly vanished into thin air like a dream. When I looked around again, there was no trace of them or the altar they were gathered around. My heart raced in my chest as I turned to leave, still clutching the crystal in my hand.

It seemed that, once again, Elise had come and gone without leaving any sign of her presence behind. But even though she was gone, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of dread lingering in the air.

Moonlight spilled in as the abyss faded to shadows. Looking down at the gem clenched in my fist, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. What was the meaning behind this crystal? Why had Elise led me to it? And why did it emit such an eerie light?

I made my way back to camp, my mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. As I crawled into my bedroll, I held the crystal close to my chest, feeling its pulsing energy against my skin. I knew that I needed to be cautious of this uncertain adversary, but at the same time, the power of the stone was enticing.