The tension in the air was thick as I took slow, deliberate steps toward the stairs, the cool wind brushing against my skin. Elaris was behind me, helping Lucian out of the carriage, her soft murmurs of concern barely audible over the grunting of the boars. The creatures were restless, shifting their weight as they watched us with eerie intelligence.
Alaria was beside me, her emerald eyes flickering with excitement and mischief. "C'mon, let's get a closer look." She whispered, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along.
I barely had time to react before we slipped past one of the larger boars, using its bulky frame as cover. The animal grunted but didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied with whatever it was guarding.
Then, before I could take another breath, Alaria suddenly yanked me toward her, pressing me against the rough hide of the boar, and kissed me.
My brain completely short-circuited.
Her lips were warm and urgent, full of that same reckless energy she always carried. My first instinct was to push her away, my body going rigid, but before I could, she pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me.
"Shush, just keep looking," she whispered, her voice low and teasing, though I could hear the underlying seriousness beneath it. "I just wanted to do that before we die in some ancient crypt."
I swallowed hard, my face burning. "That's not reassuring."
Alaria smirked and nudged me forward. "Then quit freaking out and focus, Noctis."
I exhaled sharply and turned my attention back to the stairs. They were old—ancient, even—worn stone descending into darkness. The moment my foot crossed the threshold, a pulse of something unseen swept over me. Not magic, exactly, but something older, something expectant.
Then, without warning, the lights flickered on.
Rows of lanterns lining the walls flared to life one after another, illuminating the descending pathway. The golden glow flickered strangely, casting elongated shadows that stretched like grasping fingers against the stone.
Alaria stiffened slightly beside me. "Okay… That's not ominous at all."
I felt my fingers tighten around the hilt of my sword. "It's like something knows we're here."
We exchanged a glance before stepping forward. The air grew colder the deeper we went, and the scent of old parchment and dust thickened with every step. The stairs eventually leveled out into a massive chamber, the ceiling stretching impossibly high above us.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was a library.
Or at least, it had been once. Towering bookshelves lined the walls, their contents long since crumbled into dust in some places, while others remained miraculously intact. The scent of forgotten knowledge and aged leather lingered in the air, mingling with something else—something unnatural.
Alaria let out a low whistle. "Damn. What kind of place is this?"
I shook my head, scanning the shelves, the scattered books, the symbols carved into the floor. "I don't know… But I think we just found something that wasn't meant to be found."
The sheer scale of the forgotten library was staggering. The golden light from the lanterns cast long shadows across the ancient stone floor, illuminating rows upon rows of towering bookshelves, each crammed with dust-laden tomes. The air smelled of aged parchment, forgotten ink, and something else—something faintly metallic, like rusted iron.
Alaria wandered ahead, running her fingers along the spines of the books. "So, do you think the boars were guarding this?" she mused. "Or were they just… dumb animals that happened to be in the way?"
I frowned, kneeling near a low shelf where some books had toppled to the ground, their pages crumbling with age. "I don't know," I admitted, brushing dust off the cover of an old tome. "But something doesn't feel right about this place. It's too well-preserved. The lights turning on by themselves? It's like… someone—no, something—was expecting us."
Alaria crouched next to me, her emerald eyes glinting with interest. "Maybe some ancient caretaker ghost?" she teased, nudging me with her elbow. "I bet it'd love you, what with all your dark, brooding energy and that whole 'pact with a mysterious entity' thing."
I shot her a look. "That's not funny."
She just smirked and stood, dusting herself off. "Then maybe it's fate, huh? Maybe we were meant to find this place."
That word—fate—made my stomach twist.
Ignoring the strange unease curling in my chest, I turned back to the shelf and carefully reached for another book, one that hadn't crumbled from time's touch. The leather cover was cracked but intact, and its faded gold lettering stood out even in the dim light.
"The Story of the Queen of the Void."
My fingers tightened instinctively around the spine as a cold shiver ran down my back.
Veylara.
The title alone sent my thoughts spiraling. I'd never heard her called that before—she was always just Veylara to me. But seeing those words here, in an ancient, hidden library buried beneath the wilderness of Evaria… it couldn't be a coincidence.
Alaria noticed my sudden stillness. "Noctis?"
I swallowed hard, barely hearing her. My mind raced as I flipped open the book, my breath hitching at the delicate, handwritten script inside. The ink was old but still readable, as if preserved by something beyond time.
"In the age before kings and queens, before the gods and the wars of men, there was Her. A being not of this world, nor wholly of the void. A queen without a throne, a mother without children, a ruler whose domain was stolen from her by the arrogance of lesser beings. She was Veylara, the Queen of the Void, the Keeper of the Fractured Gate, the one who sought to bridge the seen and the unseen."
The words felt like a whisper against my skin, crawling into my veins, setting my pulse hammering against my ribs.
Alaria peered over my shoulder. "Huh. Sounds like some grand old legend," she muttered, her fingers trailing lightly over the aged parchment. "Queen of the Void… That's your girl, huh?"
I barely nodded, my eyes scanning the page.
"Her power was boundless, her knowledge unmatched, but her presence was a threat to the world itself. The gods, fearing her influence, sealed her away—not in death, but in a prison beyond the reach of time. A tomb hidden across the great continents, locked with keys not made of metal, but of will and sacrifice."
My breath hitched.
A tomb.
Veylara's tomb.
The very place we were searching for.
"So that's what this is about," I murmured under my breath.
A sudden chuckle—low and knowing—whispered in my mind.
"You always were a fast learner, Noctis," Veylara purred, her voice like silk laced with shadows. "Now, do you see? The path has always been laid before you. This isn't mere chance. You were meant to find this."
I clenched my jaw. "You knew this place was here, didn't you?"
A hum of amusement. "Of course. But even I cannot step beyond my prison's veil to guide you directly. This—this is proof of what I've told you. Proof of the lies you've been fed by those who claim to be gods."
I turned another page, feeling the weight of every word. "And what happens when I find your tomb, Veylara? What happens when the prison doors open?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then, softly, she whispered: "Freedom."
Something cold curled in my stomach.
Alaria nudged me. "Hey. You good? You look pale."
I forced a breath and nodded. "Yeah. Just… processing." I closed the book carefully, holding onto it like an anchor. "Let's keep looking around. There might be more here than just old myths."
She eyed me suspiciously but didn't push. "Alright, but if you start talking to invisible people again, at least warn me first."
I didn't laugh.
I had a feeling I wasn't the only one Veylara would be speaking to soon.
We continued through the forgotten library, the air thick with the scent of ancient parchment and dust, each step echoing against the vast emptiness of the underground hall. Alaria stayed close, her usual playful smirk dimmed by the sheer weight of the atmosphere. The book on Veylara was clutched tightly in my grip, my mind replaying every word over and over.
The Queen of the Void. The Fractured Gate. Her prison… her tomb.
The idea of finding it, of opening it—was it truly what I wanted? What she wanted? And if I did…
What would happen to me?
Alaria stopped at a grand table in the center of the room, dusting it off before hopping up to sit on the surface. "So, big guy," she mused, kicking her legs idly. "What now? You found your little bedtime story about your void queen. You gonna tell me what all this is about?"
I sighed, leaning against a nearby shelf. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
She scoffed. "Noctis, I watched you get stabbed, nearly die, and then sprout weird rift chains from your hands. I think my threshold for disbelief is pretty damn high."
I hesitated. Alaria had been with me for years, since the academy, since before all of this. If anyone had earned the truth, it was her.
Before I could answer, another presence stirred in my mind.
"Tread carefully, dear Noctis," Veylara's voice slithered through my thoughts, amusement laced beneath her words. "She's not like the others. Her mind is wild, unchained. If you tell her too much… she may never let you go."
I forced down a shudder and straightened. "I don't know everything yet. But I do know that this—" I lifted the book, "—is important. More than you realize."
Alaria narrowed her eyes, her usual teasing demeanor fading into something more calculating. "You're different lately. More than just the magic. It's like you're… unraveling."
I didn't answer.
Because maybe she was right.
Before she could press further, the walls trembled. A low groan reverberated through the stone, shaking dust loose from the ceiling. I instinctively reached for my weapon, and Alaria was already on her feet, daggers drawn.
"What the hell was that?" she muttered, her voice tense.
I scanned the room, my senses sharpened, the Rift magic within me thrumming, warning of an unnatural shift in the air. Something was coming.
And it wasn't friendly.
"We need to go," I said, my voice edged with urgency.
Alaria nodded, but as we turned toward the entrance, a deep voice echoed through the chamber.
"So, the little seraph has come seeking the queen."
The words dripped with amusement, each syllable laced with something ancient and knowing. A chill crawled up my spine.
From the shadows, a figure emerged, tall and draped in a cloak of deep, shifting black. His presence was suffocating, his aura pressing against me like a weight I could barely withstand. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural hunger, and his smile was razor-sharp.
"I've been waiting for you."