The morning sun painted the sky in hues of gold and crimson as we stood outside the royal palace, our supplies packed and our path ahead set. Everything had been prepared for our departure, down to the extravagant wagon that sat waiting for us.
It was far too luxurious for a journey like this—gleaming mahogany panels, velvet-lined seats, and silver-embellished wheels. The kind of thing nobles would take on a casual outing, not an expedition across treacherous lands. But given who had supplied it, rejecting it wasn't exactly an option.
Elaris stood beside me, a small smirk playing at her lips. "A bit much, don't you think?"
I sighed. "It's going to stick out like a sore thumb."
Alaria scoffed from behind. "Forget sticking out. That thing practically screams 'rob us, we're rich' to every bandit within a hundred miles."
The royal family stood nearby, watching as we made our final preparations. King Aldric, Queen Elira, and Crown Prince Edric remained dignified as ever, but Lysara…
Lysara was smirking again.
I could feel her gaze on me, burning through the back of my head.
Before I could dwell on it, Elaris gently touched my face, bringing my attention back to her. "Let's go," she murmured before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
I melted into it, savoring the brief moment before we had to set off.
Alaria, standing nearby, audibly groaned. "You two are unbearable."
Lucian, one of the newer recruits, chuckled. "Oh, let them have their moment, Alaria. Romance is a precious thing, after all."
Alaria shot him a glare. "Say that again, and I'll gut you."
Lucian just grinned.
With our group finally assembled, we climbed into the overly lavish wagon, settling into the plush seats as the wheels lurched forward. The royals waved us off, and before long, the towering palace gates faded into the distance.
The interior was just as ridiculous as the outside—pillowed seats, embroidered curtains, even a miniature chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
I resisted the urge to groan.
Elaris sat beside me, leaning into my shoulder with a content sigh. Across from us, Lucian and Gareth sat relaxed, while Rowan and Callen occupied the farthest corner, as quiet as ever.
Alaria slouched against the opposite seat, her arms crossed, clearly still irritated about something.
"So," Lucian started, stretching his arms behind his head. "What do you think our first real challenge will be? Bandits? Monsters? Or something even worse?"
Gareth, ever the strategist, rubbed his chin. "We'll be crossing Evaria first. If anything, we'll be dealing with migrating herds or territorial beasts."
"Or idiots," Alaria muttered.
Lucian grinned, flicking his gaze toward her. "Speaking of which—tell me, Alaria, do you ever lighten up? Or are you always this charming?"
Alaria snapped her gaze to him instantly.
"Lucian, darling," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "I promise you, if you try flirting with me again, I will personally make sure your next bath is in your own blood."
Silence fell over the wagon.
Lucian blinked. "…I'm willing to take that risk."
I facepalmed.
Gareth just sighed. "Lucian, for once in your life, shut up."
Rowan, the ever-quiet rogue, finally spoke, his voice flat. "I bet she stabs him before we reach the next town."
Callen chuckled. "I'll take that bet."
Alaria smirked, twirling one of her daggers between her fingers. "Oh, you boys are fun."
Lucian grinned, unfazed. "I do my best."
Elaris sighed, shaking her head against my shoulder. "This is going to be a long journey."
I couldn't have agreed more.
The journey between Myra and Evaria was long and relentless. The Great Continent stretched vast before us, its landscapes shifting between thick forests, open plains, and rolling hills. Though the royal wagon made travel easier, the sheer distance we had to cross ensured that this was no casual trip.
The road twisted ahead, flanked by towering ancient oaks that stretched their roots deep into the soil. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming wildflowers, the occasional breeze rustling through the dense canopy above.
Inside the wagon, the group settled into their own rhythms—each of us finding different ways to pass the time.
Lucian kept the mood light with his easygoing chatter. Gareth, as expected, focused on strategy and planning. Rowan mostly remained silent, observing with that ever-calculating gaze of his, while Callen alternated between resting and sharpening his shield's edge with quiet diligence.
Alaria? Well, she spent most of the time watching me and Elaris with narrowed eyes.
I tried to ignore it.
The wagon swayed gently as we traveled, the occasional bump in the road making Elaris press even closer into my side. She had taken up her usual spot against me, curled comfortably with her head resting against my shoulder.
"You're warm," she murmured, her breath tickling my neck.
I chuckled, tilting my head slightly to look at her. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It is," she sighed. "Because I don't ever want to move."
I smiled. It was rare to see her so at ease.
Her golden hair cascaded down her back, a few loose strands framing her soft lavender eyes. The warm afternoon sunlight filtering through the wagon's curtains made her features glow in an almost ethereal light.
She looked beautiful.
"You two make me sick," Alaria muttered from across the wagon, arms crossed, her emerald gaze flicking between us with barely-concealed irritation.
Elaris just smirked, snuggling even closer into me.
"Jealous?" she teased.
Alaria scoffed, flipping her crimson hair over her shoulder. "Of what? You clinging to him like a lost puppy?"
"More like a content kitten," Elaris purred.
Lucian whistled, grinning. "Damn, Elaris has claws after all."
Alaria rolled her eyes. "Just wait, Noctis. She'll start making you purr next."
I let out a deep sigh. "Can we not?"
The entire wagon erupted into laughter, leaving me rubbing my temples while Elaris grinned triumphantly.
As the hours stretched on, our journey took us deeper into the wilderness. The forests thinned out, revealing rolling plains that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. The golden grass swayed in the breeze, and in the distance, we could see the faint silhouettes of Stormhoof Bison herds, their massive forms trudging slowly across the land.
By now, the sun had begun its descent, casting the sky in streaks of orange and deep indigo. The wagon rolled over a small hill, and I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees as I took in the endless horizon.
Elaris shifted beside me, sensing my mood.
"You've been quiet for a while," she murmured.
I hesitated. Had I?
My thoughts had been tangled in memories, responsibilities, and the weight of Veylara's whispers in my mind.
I glanced at her, debating how much to say. But in the end, I sighed, my fingers absently tracing patterns against the back of her hand.
"It's… a lot," I admitted. "Everything. The journey. The quest. The expectations."
Elaris watched me intently, her expression soft but unreadable.
"You don't have to carry it alone, you know."
I exhaled, tilting my head back against the seat. "I know. But sometimes… it feels like I do."
She squeezed my hand, her warmth grounding me. "You have me, Noctis. And Alaria. And the others. We're in this together."
I met her gaze, and for a moment, the weight on my chest eased.
Then Lucian, ever the opportunist, leaned forward with a grin.
"If you two start kissing again, I swear I'm going to jump out of this wagon."
Elaris snorted. "Feel free."
As night settled, we made camp beneath the open sky, the distant sound of whispering reeds adding an eerie melody to the quiet.
We sat around the campfire, the warm glow flickering across our faces. Gareth and Callen were discussing possible routes into Evaria, while Lucian sharpened his blade.
Then Rowan, who had been silent most of the day, finally spoke up.
"Noctis."
I looked up. "Yeah?"
He watched me for a moment, his dark eyes unreadable. Then he glanced at Alaria, then at Elaris, then back at me.
"You're being watched."
The crackling fire seemed to dim for a second.
I stiffened. "What?"
"I noticed it earlier," he continued. "Something—or someone—has been tailing us since we left Myra."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Alaria tensed, her fingers drifting toward the daggers strapped to her thighs. "You're sure?"
Rowan nodded once. "It's faint, but I've caught glimpses. Just beyond the tree line. They're keeping their distance… for now."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
"So you've noticed as well," Veylara's voice echoed in my mind, silken and knowing.
I swallowed hard.
I had felt something, too. That same unshakable presence that had haunted me ever since we left Myra.
Elaris's grip tightened on my arm. "We should move," she said firmly. "If someone's tracking us, we can't just sit here and wait for them to make a move."
Lucian let out a low whistle. "Well. That certainly kills the mood."
Alaria shot him a glare. "Shut up, Lucian."
Gareth stood, his hand hovering near his spellbook. "If we ride through the night, we can reach Evaria by sunrise."
I exhaled slowly, nodding.
"Then we ride."
The Race to Evaria
By the time we reached the border of Evaria, the sky had begun to lighten, streaks of deep blue and violet breaking through the night.
The golden plains stretched before us, the horizon tinged with the first breath of dawn.
But something still felt wrong.
Even as we crossed the threshold into Evaria's lands, the feeling of being watched never left me.
And somewhere in the distance, just beyond the reach of my vision, I swore I saw a flicker of movement—a shadow slipping into the tall grass.
A warning.
A promise.
We were not alone.