The forest of Aetherwyn's outer reaches was bathed in soft amber light. The canopy above rippled gently with the breeze, and the air was fresh — cleaner than anything Lif had breathed in weeks. For the first time in a while, it was quiet. No guards. No voices. No pressure. Just the sound of his boots brushing through fallen leaves.
He exhaled slowly.
It felt strange — peaceful, but empty.
The dirt path had long vanished, leaving him to wander between the roots of giant trees that twisted like coiled beasts beneath the earth. Their trunks rose thick and tall, dotted with faint blue moss that glowed faintly under the sunlight. Small birds darted between the branches above, chirping softly as they passed.
For a while, Lif didn't think. He just walked.
His body still ached faintly from the earlier fight. Every breath reminded him of Teris's hand pressing him down mid-air, the sheer difference in strength — how helpless he'd been. The memory made his jaw clench.
After a while, he heard the soft trickle of water — a stream cutting through the forest like a silver thread.
He knelt down, cupping his hands, and drank. The water was freezing, sharp against his throat, but refreshing.
When he looked up, he saw two deer across the riverbank. They watched him for a moment before bowing their heads again to drink.
For some reason, the sight made him smile a little.
"…Peaceful," he murmured. "Kinda weird."
He stood, wiping his hands on his trousers, and began walking again — until the trees started to thin. Through the leaves, he could see a clearing ahead. In its center, one enormous tree stood, towering over the rest — its trunk wide enough that ten people couldn't wrap around it.
He looked up, squinting at the height.
"Perfect," he muttered.
With a light jump, he grabbed the first branch and started climbing.
The bark was rough, thick, easy to grip — a good thing, considering the wind grew sharper the higher he went. The forest spread beneath him, a sea of green and gold. As he climbed, small leaves brushed against his cheek, the scent of sap heavy in the air.
Finally, when he reached the upper branches, he perched himself on a wide limb, legs hanging freely.
The horizon stretched far — the border of Aetherwyn barely visible as a thin blue shimmer in the distance.
"So that's how far I am…" he muttered under his breath. "Guess I've got a long way to go."
He let out a tired laugh, rubbing his face. "Figures."
The wind was soft — calm — until suddenly, a voice broke through it.
"Where you going?"
Lif jerked violently, nearly losing his grip. "Holy shi—!"
He twisted around, heart pounding — only to see a figure sitting casually on the branch just above him, one leg hanging down, the other bent, arm resting lazily on his knee.
Jet-black hair swayed slightly in the wind. Calm black-green eyes. A faint, knowing smile.
"…Oh," Lif exhaled. "It's you."
Illys lifted a hand, waving almost playfully. "Hey."
Lif blinked, still catching his breath. "You scared the hell outta me, man."
"Did I?" Illys said with a faint chuckle. "i thought my voice was calming."
Lif frowned. "hillarious aren't we."
"Yup," Illys's voice was smooth, almost teasing. "So. Where're you heading?"
Lif shrugged, glancing toward the horizon. "Nowhere. Just walking, I guess."
"Walking?" Illys leaned forward slightly. "That's not much of a plan."
"Didn't really have one," Lif muttered. "Just… needed to move."
Illys nodded slowly, eyes studying him. "You seem like you dont want to stand still."
Lif looked up at him. "You say that like you know me."
Illys smiled faintly. "Its obvious."
There was a pause — just the wind, the leaves rustling softly. Then Lif sighed. "You came all this way just to talk?"
"Sort of," Illys said. "Saw you wandering alone. Figured I'd say hi."
"Uh-huh." Lif squinted. "stalking much?"
Illys laughed quietly. "No. Not that."
That earned a small smirk from Lif.
For a while, neither spoke. The forest breathed below them — the rustling branches, the distant sound of running water.
Lif leaned back against the trunk, staring up at the sky.
After a long pause, he said quietly, "You ever feel like you're weak?"
Illys tilted his head slightly. "Weak?"
"Yeah." Lif's voice was lower now. "Like you work for so long — you fight, you bleed, you train — and then one day, someone just comes along and proves how pointless all that was."
Illys said nothing, just watched him.
Lif clenched his fists. "I thought I'd gotten stronger this year. Really thought I did. Then this guy, Teris showed up and just—" He exhaled sharply. "—made me feel like I'd never fought in my life. He barely even tried."
The words came out raw, frustrated.
He kicked at a loose bit of bark. "It's like I was nothing again."
Illys was quiet for a moment, then spoke softly. "You're not nothing, Lif. You're just early."
"Early?"
Illys smiled slightly. "You've barely begun in the real world havent you. The difference between strength and mastery is time. Teris couldve had decades — you've had what."
"Still," Lif muttered. "I hate feeling useless."
Illys looked up at the horizon. "Then don't let it stay that way."
That shut Lif up for a second.
After a pause, Lif looked back at him, trying to lighten the mood. "You talk like some old monk."
"Maybe I am," Illys said with a faint grin.
Lif snorted. "Yeah right. Last I saw you, you were getting attacked by those big-ass jellyfish things."
"Etherglides," Illys corrected calmly.
"Etherglides. Anyway, besides that, I don't think I can really learn anything from you." Lif crossed his arms, smirking a little. "Not to be rude."
Illys chuckled under his breath, leaning back against the branch. "Not rude. Just wrong."
"Yeah?" Lif said, raising a brow. "You think you can teach me something?"
"Maybe a few things."
Lif grinned. "Oh, so what, like a lesson? You gonna teach me how to meditate in the wind?"
Illys laughed softly. "No. Something more practical."
"Like what?"
"You'll see."
Illys stood slowly, his balance impossibly steady on the narrow branch. The faint green light of his eyes caught the sun for a moment as he looked down at Lif.
"You said you feel weak," he said quietly. "So I'll show you what strength looks like."
Lif tilted his head, skeptical. "That's a bold promise."
Illys smiled faintly. "Then climb down. You'll see what I mean."
Lif sighed, but curiosity flickered behind his tired eyes. "Alright, fine."
"Then you'll learn faster," Illys interrupted, his tone calm but playful.
Lif rolled his eyes, dropping from the branch and landing softly on the ground below.
He glanced up at Illys still standing above, wind ruffling his black hair — calm, composed, almost glowing in the light.