He looked out of the window again as he stared at the ominous rift. The large eye which seemed to encompass the whole world silently stared back unblinkingly.
'I wonder if it remembers me from before. Maybe once I ascend, I will be able to recall more information.'
Letting out another long sigh, Kharon got off the carriage as began to walk towards the house he had become accustomed to. As he reached the house, he placed one of his rings on the door before drawing several patterns. He pushed the door open as he slowly stepped through.
He took off his shoes as he walked towards the light switch. As he did, he suddenly heard a faint sound as he quickly tensed. He cautiously walked to the light switch but suddenly, the lights were turned on and standing in front of him was Aidan.
Placing his hand on his chest, Kharon breathed a sigh of relief.
"You scared me Aidan. Why are you home so early?"
Smiling innocently, Aidan walked towards Kharon as he patted him on the back.
"I had a good day hunting and decided to come back early to surprise you. I wasn't expecting you to be back so early though. You already added the space expansion runes?"
"Ofcourse I did, what did you think I would fail?"
"No! I knew you would succeed, I am just surprised that you did it so quickly. I remember spending the whole day integrating the necessary runes. It was pure torture."
Aidan briefly paused as he slightly shivered before continuing, "I am glad you didn't spend all night. I would have had to eat dinner all alone then."
As Aidan walked towards the kitchen, Kharon followed suit.
"I would have been home much earlier if I hadn't added a concealment rune to my cloak. It was a lot easier to integrate after I became familiar with the method."
Aidan kept walking as he looked back at Kharon with awe.
"You really are amazing... I haven't integrated a concealment rune before. Can I see your cloak?"
Nodding his head, Kharon handed his dark, eerie cloak to Aidan who spent a few seconds analysing it before handing it back.
"You did a splendid job with the space expansion. I would like to see the concealment aspect of it tomorrow once I come back. Would that be ok?"
"It's fine by me. But why not take the cloak tomorrow when you go hunting? It would allow you to see how effective it is against actual essence beasts and you could give me feedback."
Aidan who was holding a jar filled with a dark purple liquid placed it on the table before saying, "That sounds like a great idea! I guess we will go with your suggestion. However if an essence beast damages your cloak, then it's your fault."
"Whatever."
Kharon looked at the small feast which was laid out in front of him as his mouth slightly watered. The strong, meaty smell of the Ironhide Boar Ribs intertwined with the delicate aroma of the Aethermilk and Honey Cakes.
As Aidan poured the Moonshadow Nectar into his glass, Kharon took a huge gulp of the purple drink before he began his hearty meal.
He and Aidan spoke about their day as they enjoyed the little feast that Aidan had made.
"Yes, I fought the Nightmare Warden while half sleep! I am not lying, it created horrifying images which I almost thought were real. I am just glad I was able to defeat it swiftly. Their brains are used to create hallucinogens while their rock-like skin is used to create armour and other types of defensive items."
"Did you encounter a tier 3 beast?"
"I did. I encountered two actually, I think once was a Pyreborn Juggernaut and the other was a Deathmarked Sentinel. They are connected to the path of enhancement and the path of death respectively. I am lucky they didn't notice me. They were locked in quite a ferocious battle, the power they possess was truly frightening."
As they continued their chatter, they briefly spoke about Master Lodge's journal before Kharon suddenly asked Aidan, "What would you do if I vanished one day?"
Aidan looked at him as his smile slowly dimmed.
"That is a strange question... Well, firstly I would try searching for you. If I can't find you alone then I would ask Dorn and Master Lodge. Worse case scenario I would ask the Hollow King for help. But that will never happen."
Smiling brightly Aidan said, "I wouldn't allow you to disappear. I promise that my light will always shine bright. That way, you will never be lost."
Kharon gave him a weak smile as he said, "You are pretty childish. Wouldn't you allow me to find my way back on my own?"
Pausing for a few seconds, Aidan thought about what had just been said before replying, "I know you would be searching for a way back. But regardless, I would still be searching for you. What kind of person stays idle when their friend is missing?"
"A person who doesn't care about their friend."
"Exactly! I don't know why you asked me that question Kharon." Aidan slowly placed his hand on Kharon's. "But I want you to know that I will always search you for, no matter what happens. No matter where your path may take you, I won't be far behind."
Kharon suddenly felt a slight sting as he covered his eyes.
"Are you crying...?"
"No, I think something just went in my eye. That's all."
Aidan chuckled as he picked up their plates placed them into the Aetheric Dishwasher. The large box began to emit a faint light as all the dinnerware and cultery were quickly cleaned. It took no more than ten seconds before Aidan began to place the dinnerware in their specific cabinets.
"I am going to sleep. I have a long day ahead of me. Good luck with your hunting tomorrow."
As Kharon hurriedly walked away, he felt a gentle tug on his arm. As he turned around, Aidan suddenly hugged him. The pair stayed that way for a while before Aidan pulled away before muttering a few words.
"Good night, Kharon."
"Good night, Aidan."
Kharon continued to walk towards his room as Aidan cleared the table.
'I don't know why he doesn't let me help clean up. It would be a lot quicker and he would go to sleep earlier, it's been over three months now!'
As Kharon shut the door, he collapsed on his bed as he screamed into one of his pillows. The sound was fully absorbed due to the Silence runes imbued into it. Kharon tossed and turned as he thought about his life.
'I know I was a fighter in the past, a powerful one at that. I also know that I learnt runic magic in the past which explains my high aptitude for it. But why do I feel like Aidan was a part of my past? I am certain he isn't like me, but something strange is definitely going on... Maybe I am just tired from integrating runes with my cloak.'
Looking at the ceiling, Kharon suddenly realised something as his vision suddenly turned blurry. He could see a tall figure with straw blonde hair walking towards him in a green meadow. He could smell the vibrant flowers all around him, the wind pushing against his face, the texture of the grass he lay down on. It was so calm and serene, and in front of him was someone he cherished. He was unable to make out any distinctive features before his eyes were back to focusing on the ceiling.
'Another memory... And this time it didn't involve a high level being or event. Who was that person? The felt so warm and familiar. Maybe that was a friend from my past. I wonder what happened to them.'
Kharon got off his bed as he began pacing around and speculating. He spent a long time pondering over the vision he had before falling asleep. When he opened his eyes, he immediately checked the time as he realised how late he had awoken.
He quickly ran to the dinning but didn't see Aidan. However he noticed a plate with several Skyfowl Sandwiches and a glass of Aethermilk.
'He already left. Atleast he took the cloak with him.'
Kharon sat down as he had his breakfast in silence. Though Skyfowl Sandwiches were one of his favourite things, he didn't eat with as much enthusiasm as usual.
'It's so quiet without Aidan. I don't know if I should be grateful for the silence or not.'
Shaking his head and sighing, Kharon quickly finished his breakfast before clearing the table. He absent-mindly washed the dishes before returning to his room. His eyes slowly fell on Master Lodge's journal as he picked it up and sat at his desk. He slowly scanned through the pages which were filled with many familiar runes and symbols. As he was about to put the book away, something caught his attention as his eyes slightly widened.
There was a depiction of the rift in the journal but it was something else which made his blood run cold. Next to the rift was a line of runes which he hadn't been taught. They read:
"The Eye Closed by the Cosmos
He Whose Breath Shapes Madness
The Mourning Core of Infinity..."