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Rave tucked the glowing soul shard into his pouch, sealing it carefully. Its light faded behind the cloth, but its weight: physical and spiritual still remained. He didn't pause to mourn, didn't dare let his thoughts stray.
He had a destination.
Crimson Fall City.
It was one of the kingdom's largest cities, second only to the royal capital itself.
He was going back for one reason only: Revenge.
The city was home to five members of the Absolute Authority, second only to the capital in sheer concentration of power. Each one of them strong enough to slay Grade 6 cursed beasts alone. Beings elevated far beyond common men. And among them were the ones who had signed the execution of his parents.
He didn't yet know their names. But he would.
And when he did, he would burn them from the earth.
The jungle sprawled ahead — tangled, wild, and watching.
The canopy above blocked much of the sky, but what little light filtered through painted the world in shades of gold and shadow. Rave's pace was steady, quick, but cautious. The ground was littered with dead leaves and broken branches, crunching underfoot.
But he wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.
Maybe it was because he had stood at death's door and returned. Maybe because everything else had already been taken from him. Or maybe it was simply because fear had no place left in his hollowed-out heart.
As he walked, his mind turned to the strange words engraved on his bracelet's display. His stats. His titles. His curse.
They made no sense — just cryptic fragments that left him with more questions than answers.
Why was his core sealed?
What did "He Who Walks Between" even mean and why does he have it if it's locked and might go away?
And that curse… "Everyone he loves will die."
He whispered to himself, "Is that why I'm always alone?"
There were no answers in the wind.
The sun had begun to sink, sliding behind the jagged horizon like it, too, wanted to hide. The moon rose slow and pale, casting an otherworldly glow across the land. The sky turned a cold indigo.
Rave paused at a small ridge, catching his breath, and glanced up.
***
The sun dipped behind the horizon, dragging daylight with it. The moon began its silent ascent. The world dimmed into blue twilight. Somewhere between day and night, Rave kept walking.
Neither the sun nor the moon seemed to shine for him.
He was between them now: Between warmth and cold, light and dark, good and evil.
Alone.
Just like a raven, suspended in the void, winged in silence.
A Lonely Raven
***
He moved on.
After some time searching, he finally spotted a small outcrop of rock at the base of a weathered mountain. A cave. Quiet and dark, barely visible under the thick foliage. Shelter, if not safety.
On his way toward it, something caught his eye. A cluster of dark purple berries growing near the base of a tree.
He crouched beside them, inspecting carefully.
No strange shine. No powdery residue. No sharp smell. They didn't match any poisonous variants he had studied in his childhood.
"These should be safe..." he muttered, gathering a small handful into a side pouch.
He'd need every scrap of sustenance for the journey ahead.
Reaching the mountain was one thing. Climbing it was another.
He approached the stone wall, glancing up. The cave sat halfway up the slope. One wrong move, one loose stone, and he'd fall. Maybe die.
He let out a breath and planted both hands against the stone. His fingers found a small crevice. Then another. Carefully, steadily, he pulled himself upward. Muscles screamed with every motion. His body still hadn't fully recovered from the battle with the mutant wolf.
Every inch climbed was a battle.
After what felt like an eternity, he hauled himself onto a narrow plateau — breathless, sweating, heart hammering.
"Fuck... that was tiring."
But he made it.
The cave stood before him, dark and wide like a jaw waiting to close. He rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword. As the blade drew free, it shimmered softly—radiating faint light, like a torch forged from memory and intent.
He tightened his grip.
And walked in.
He didn't know what monsters lurked inside.
But it didn't matter anymore.
The moon watched from above. The shadows welcomed their own. And Rave, between worlds, walked deeper into the dark.
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