A few weeks earlier
In the heart of the Empire stood an enormous temple, built in reverence to the majesty of the Seven Divinities, the gods of this world. No expense had been spared in its construction. The temple was considered an architectural masterpiece, reminiscent of structures from the ancient days, before the fall of Human civilization. Its vast marble halls were lined with towering columns, and immense statues of the Seven stood in all their splendor.
This was the very seat of authority for the Empire, the last bastion of a genetically pure Humanity, untouched by the corruption of the Void. To the faithful of the Divinity Church, this temple was sacred ground. Here, they believed, Humanity would rise again and reclaim its rightful dominion over the world.
Deep within the temple's innermost chamber, a smaller and more lifelike statue of one of the Divinities knelt, frozen in time before a strange spherical object.
Within that sphere was emptiness, a vast, light-devouring darkness that swirled and pulsed like a caged beast, straining against its prison. It longed to break free and once more roam the heavenly skies.
Far away, in a forgotten corner of the world, stood the crumbling ruins of another temple. It had once looked much like the one now standing in the Empire, but time and devastation had reduced it to shattered columns and weather-worn stone. It too had a statue, kneeling, still, and watching over a similar object.
This second orb sat in silence beneath the moonlight, surrounded by debris and fading echoes of the past. Like its twin, it held the same dark void, unchanged for countless millennia. Few knew of the connection between them, and fewer still understood its meaning.
Then, one day, something changed.
The darkness within both spheres pulsed and churned more violently than ever before.
And then, within both, came a spark of light.
The light in the ruined temple passed unnoticed.
But in the heart of the Empire, it caused an uproar.
Nothing like this had ever happened in the nearly five thousand years of the Reginar Homen Empire's history.
For the first time, the high bishops of the Divinity Church felt fear.
"What do we do?" one bishop asked, panic rising in his voice. "This has never happened before!"
"What does it mean?" another asked.
"I don't know..."
"We must wait for the Oracle."
They had already summoned her. She arrived not long after.
"Oracle, what does this mean? Use your power!"
They pleaded with her, urging her to look into the orb, to divine the meaning of the impossible light that had appeared where no light should be.
The Oracle's steps slowed as she neared the sphere. Her breath caught in her throat. Something was wrong. It felt... awake.
With heavy steps, the Oracle stepped forward and placed her hand upon the object.
She trembled as her powers activated. A jolt of pain tore through her. She screamed and fell to her knees as the sphere's energy overwhelmed her mind. Her breath came in sharp gasps, eyes wide with agony.
And with her final breath, she cried out:
"SOMETHING... COMING... IN THE NORTH... ENREIN... THE VOID!"
She collapsed, lifeless.
The chamber fell silent.
"We must send agents north," one bishop said grimly. "Find the anomaly. Identify the threat. Deal with it."
The others nodded without hesitation, still shaken by the Oracle's death.
"It's a shame about the Oracle. We'll need to find a replacement…"
"Who should we send?"
"We can only send them."
And the others agreed.
________________________________
Two lone, hooded figures, a man and a woman, met under cover of night in a shadowed alley within the town of Enrein.
When they'd left the Empire, the Oracle's final words had given them only one clue: the town's name. They had been provided with a magical tool meant to locate the anomaly, but it wasn't entirely accurate.
By chance, they had been in the town square when the tool suddenly reacted. Its target? A man in strange clothes with an awkward demeanor. He had been accompanied by a Foxkin woman who was training him at the time.
At first, they thought it had to be a mistake. But the tool kept reacting every time they followed him. They even spied on him during his training sessions, using magical tools to mask their presence.
After confirming she wasn't followed, the woman arrived and met the man in the alley.
"Any trouble?" the man asked.
The woman looked irritated, clearly not thrilled to be meeting at this hour. "None. Did you follow her?"
"Yes. It was a simple matter."
She scowled. His cocky attitude grated on her nerves. Working with him always felt like being paired with a wild beast, unpredictable, and just barely restrained. "Then what now? I overheard them talking, planning to head to the forest tomorrow."
He scoffed. "Our men are already on standby. I'll have them tail the two of them and wait for the right moment to strike."
"Are you sure they'll be enough? His power is…" Her voice trailed off. She wasn't convinced their men could handle it.
"I know," he said. "But it's what we have. They're capable. They'll handle it."
She sighed, unconvinced but resigned. "And me? What should I do in the meantime?"
"Stay in Enrein. If the men fail… we'll need another plan."
Tch. And if that happens, you'll probably blame me anyway, she thought bitterly.
"Fine. But I'm sick of this dump. I want to return to the Empire as soon as possible."
"Hmph. Then let's not fuck this up."
You mean you don't fuck this up, she wanted to snap, but kept it to herself.
Their meeting done, she turned and disappeared into the night, leaving the man alone in the alley.
_________________________________________________
Waking up at the crack of dawn was still difficult for Peter, but he was starting to get used to it. Even having his dreams invaded on a nightly basis by a strange Dragonkin princess had become routine.
What is the world coming to? He could only chuckle to himself at the thought.
"Jessie, it's Dad," he whispered softly into the morning air. "I hope you're doing well. I'm still stuck in this world with some crazy people. That princess was back again, she seems alright, just a little sheltered. I haven't decided yet if I trust her. I feel bad for her, though. Every time we talk, she seems so sad and lonely, but she won't say why. I've noticed she cheers up a bit when we talk, though. Oh, and Reia came back. She's taking me to her village today. That's enough for now... I really miss you."
It was getting harder to keep talking like this, but Peter needed it, for his own sanity.
Reia was already waiting for him downstairs, freshly bathed and looking sharp.
"Reia, you look... and smell... wonderful today," he said with his best smile and an exaggerated bow.
"Do you want to die?"
Peter clutched his chest in mock injury and laughed. "Haha, sorry. I couldn't help myself."
Reia didn't take it to heart. She was a good sport. He thought he even caught a blush before she quickly turned away.
"Are you ready to go?" she said, a little too quickly. "We should leave as soon as possible if we want to make good time."
Peter groaned inwardly. They hadn't even eaten breakfast yet. This girl was a monster.
"Oh, wait, before we go, let's stop by the Guild. It's on the way, and I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine. She said she'd be there early."
"Who is this friend of yours?" Reia asked, suspicious.
"Someone I met during training. Since we're starting our own adventuring party, I thought we could use someone like her. She's a ranger, good with a bow."
As they walked to the Guild, Peter told Reia more about Tris, but she didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea.
Is it because she's human? Peter wondered, then shrugged. Beastkin and Humans would have to start getting along eventually, might as well start here.
Sure enough, Tris was at the Guild, just like she'd said. Peter led Reia over to her and made the introductions.
"Tris, this is Reia, the one I told you about."
Neither of them looked thrilled to meet. The two women eyed each other carefully, as if weighing the other's worth in silence.
"Come on now," Peter said, raising his hands. "We're going to be working together in the future, so let's at least try to be friendly. I'm not expecting you two to hit it off right away, but I'm hoping you'll give it a chance."
He wasn't naïve. The tension between Humans and Beastkin wasn't something that could be brushed aside easily. Still, he was prepared for this.
Reia was the first to break the stalemate.
"Peter's right. Let's at least try to get along." She extended her hand to Tris.
Tris didn't take it right away. Her eyes flicked down to it, then back up to Reia's face. After a pause, she sighed and reached out. "I'll try."
It wasn't much, but Peter considered it real progress. Seeing the two of them shake hands was more than he'd expected. With some time together, maybe they'd even become friends, or at least comfortable enough not to kill each other.
"Alright, now that's settled... there's something I forgot to tell you both," Peter said. They turned to him, expectant. "I've decided to change my name. It's officialy Fayde now."
Silence.
He sighed. The two of them just stared at him like he'd grown horns.
"These two are way more alike than they think," he muttered to himself.
"Okay… Fayde," Tris said at last, dragging the name out. "So where are you two going?"
"We'll be out for a few days," Peter replied, casually dodging the question. "Why don't you take a few jobs while we're gone? When we get back, we'll form the party for real. Sound good?"
Tris nodded. "Alright. But you better take me with you next time."
"I promise." He grinned, and she seemed satisfied enough with that, wishing them a safe trip.
As Peter and Reia turned to leave, Tris watched them go, her expression unreadable once their backs were turned. Her hand lingered briefly near the edge of her cloak, where a faint shimmer of a concealed pendant glinted in the light, just for a second, before she slipped it back out of sight.
She waited until they were out of earshot, then muttered quietly under her breath, "Promise huh, you shouldn't make promises so lightly."
And then, just like that, she returned to her usual place at the Guild, the friendly ranger once more.
After letting Orban know they'd be gone for a few days, Peter and Reia made their way toward the west gate. Reia didn't give him much room to dawdle. She hurried him along through the streets and wouldn't let him stop at any of the merchant stalls, even when something shiny caught his eye.
The town was busier than usual, and Peter was itching to see what new goods might have arrived. He'd been slowly building up his knowledge of trade, learning prices, and making contacts with the merchants. It was still early in his efforts, but he figured it was a good long-term move.
No time for that now, though.
He took one last look back at Enrein before they left the town behind and headed west toward the forest.
The journey would take more than a day, so they planned to camp just outside the forest before entering. It was far more dangerous at night, and while they had camped there once before, that had been out of necessity. This time, they could take a safer approach.
No need to risk their lives if they didn't have to.
The trip was mostly uneventful. There was nothing but grass as far as the eye could see in either direction. This region wasn't hilly like the eastern part of the kingdom, just open land as far as the horizon stretched. Humans didn't settle close to the forest, and Enrein was the only nearby town. Occasionally, monsters strayed out of the woods, making it a dangerous place to live, but travel through the area was usually safe. Bandits were also a possibility, but with so little cover around, it was easy to spot trouble long before it reached them.
Peter spent the walk talking with Reia. Most of their conversation revolved around her tribe and her father. She told him that her father had once been a Khan, the leader of the Foxkin clan. He had lost a duel against his brother and, with that defeat, lost control of the clan. As a result, he and his followers had been exiled.
"My father doesn't talk about it much, but something happened back then," she said. "He was a hero, our strongest warrior. No one believed my uncle could beat him. But somehow, he lost his magic. And without it, he stood no chance. After the duel, he was banished. I've asked him so many times about it, but… he never tells me anything."
"That's rough," Peter replied. "But what could make someone just lose their magic?"
"I don't know… No one knows."
He didn't press the issue, and they continued walking in silence until they reached the edge of the forest. They'd been on the road all day, and night was beginning to fall. It would take some time to set up a small camp, and Reia planned to take the first watch. Peter was getting more used to the physical exertion required in this world, but after a full day of marching, he was still wiped.
There was some time before they needed to sleep, so they ate together under the dimming sky. Their rations were basic, mostly dried meat and bread. Fresh meat didn't travel well, so most adventurers stuck with the basics: hard bread, jerky, and the occasional bit of cheese, fruit, or nuts. They didn't bother making a fire. There was no need to cook, and the light might draw unwanted attention.
Peter sat back and watched Reia as she ate, her gaze distant. She hadn't noticed him staring. He couldn't help but wonder about her. She was strong, beautiful, and smart, yet she always seemed so alone. No mention of close friends. No talk of anyone special. She didn't strike him as the type to open up easily, but even so...
"Reia," he said softly, drawing her attention.
She blinked and looked over. "Is something wrong, Peter? Sorry, Fayde?"
They were seated close enough that he could feel her body heat. It was too dark to read her expression clearly, but her voice was gentle.
"I was just thinking… We've known each other for a couple weeks now, and you've never mentioned any friends. Or maybe… a lover?"
She nearly choked on her food. "Lover? Me? No… I don't have anyone like that. A few friends in the tribe, but not many. I've always been traveling or working. Before I became an adventurer, I spent all my time training, for the day I can avenge my father's honor." She paused, then fixed her eyes on him. "Why do you ask?"
Peter felt a little awkward with how close they were, but he pressed on. "I just thought it was kind of strange… someone like you not having anyone."
"Someone like me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Was she teasing him? Or did she really not get it?
"You know what I mean," he said, trying not to laugh. "You're young, strong, and beautiful. I'd think plenty of Foxkin guys would be lining up for a shot."
She looked away. "Do you really think I'm beautiful? You're Human. I'm a Beastkin. A monster."
Her words stung more than he expected. "What the hell are you saying? You're not a monster. How could you even think that?"
"Hahaha…" She laughed, caught off guard by his outrage.
Peter stared at her. "You were messing with me?"
"Sorry," she said, still smiling. "I was only joking. But... I'm happy."
"You're happy because you tricked me, huh?" He shook his head, feigning irritation. "Yeah, yeah, you got me good."
"No, Fayde," she said more seriously. "I'm happy because… you got angry. You got angry when I called myself a monster. You see me as a person."
He had no response to that. Just smiled, nudged her shoulder playfully, and the two of them shared a quiet laugh.
The silence stretched for a bit, then she asked, "What about you, Fayde? Did you have someone on Earth?"
"I did once," he said. "But not anymore. It didn't work out. I have a daughter, too… but I wasn't allowed to see her much."
"I'm sorry," Reia said. "It must be hard, not being able to see your own child."
"It is what it is. I've come to terms with it."
She hesitated. "What about that Human you met during training? Tris?"
He caught the way she glanced at him and couldn't resist. "Why? You jealous?"
"Shut up!" She punched him lightly, and he grinned.
"I was just thinking," she continued, "you must be lonely. You were forced into this world, and you're all alone. No one would blame you for wanting companionship, especially with someone from your own kind. Tris is pretty. And she's Human."
Peter shook his head. "I'm not lonely. I've got you."
"Fayde, I'm being serious..."
Her self-doubt tugged at him. He could see how much she'd internalized the way others looked at her, and it only made him want to reassure her more.
He reached over and took her hand, flashing a dramatic grin. "Reia, look at me. I'm serious too. I'm glad I met you. You're the reason I don't feel alone here. Tris is just a friend, someone I thought would be useful in a party. That's it. I don't care that she's Human, and I don't care that you're a Beastkin. Honestly, if you wanted me to, I'd drop her in a second."
His tone was teasing, but the words were real. Reia was his first friend in this world, maybe more than that. He wasn't sure yet. They hadn't known each other long, and he couldn't imagine she'd see him that way… but the way she looked at him now said otherwise.
She didn't answer immediately. Just studied his face as if searching for something.
Then, finally, she looked away. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you when it's your turn."
Peter nodded. "Alright. Be careful. And wake me if anything happens."
He rolled himself in his fur blanket and lay down. As his eyes closed, he kept wondering what her silence really meant.