About halfway through the large, expansive cliff lay a small cave from which a bright fire burned.
Wind howled, and snow fell, covering the surrounding sky in a thick fog.
A tall, blonde young man entered the cave with a handful of wood.
"Don't ever make me go out there again while it's this windy," Astel growled, throwing the wood near the burning fire.
"You wouldn't have had to if you were in the front, with me, like I asked you multiple times," Sev matched Astel's gaze.
"You know I can't."
Sev exhaled. "Anyway, any progress?" he said, offering him a cup of warm water.
Taking the cup, Astel sat down next to him and spoke in a low tone. "Unfortunately not. People keep on disappearing, but I can't seem to do anything."
He silently added, "I thought I would be better."
Sev shook his own steaming cup, taking a calm sip.
"Have I ever told you about my first time taking lost souls back to the sanctuary?"
Astel shook his head, sipping the hot liquid.
"Back then it was just me, Astrid, and a few other kids. We worked hard, building a place to live, but there weren't many to populate it." He hesitated for a moment. "It was then that we decided to go back and look for others like us—for other lost souls looking for an opportunity, for a place to call home."
He played with his cup, watching Max take care of the shivering group of people huddled around the dancing fire.
"I was the only one to make it back from there, leaving only a handful of us. For a while, we were terrified to leave, too scared to do anything... until Astrid left." He huffed, one of his hands hovering over his pocket. "It took her just four months to come back with dozens upon dozens of survivors.
Suddenly, it didn't feel lonely, dark, or scary. For the first time since arriving here, we had hope."
Astel nodded along, occasionally sipping his flavorless tea. "You were once a lost soul?" he asked after a moment of silence.
Sev laughed, the sound hollow, empty, "I meant that figuratively."
Astel frowned, "Why are you telling me this? Why now?"
Sev shook his head slightly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that people die, and it's okay for them to die."
Astel nodded, trying his best to keep up the appearance of the other him. Forcing himself, he asked, "Shouldn't we do our best to protect them anyway?"
Sev responded by placing his hand across his shoulder, speaking quietly, "They won't live long anyway. They're unlike us—they are weak."
He paused, monitoring Astel's expression. Astel's gaze drifted to Max, watching him, discomfort painting his face.
Sev continued, "Most of them don't make it past six months, and those that do require notions—a very scarce and rare thing."
Astel couldn't help but ask, "Notions?"
Sev nodded. "More specifically, the energy from them." He pointed at a young man who looked deathly pale as he slept. "That one's been with me the longest. He's getting close to his limit, but there's nothing we can do. Notions are too rare, and we simply can't afford to give them to everyone."
His frown looked forced, as if he didn't mean it.
Thinking about his own notions, Astel subconsciously reached for them, feeling their presence. Clenching his fist, he asked, "Are they just doomed to die?"
"We all are." Sev's eyes dimmed. "I'll take first watch. You should get some rest—you've been working hard."
Astel watched him walk off toward Max, the conversation still lingering within his mind.
'What would he think about this?'
He shook his head as if it didn't matter.
'He's right. I should rest.'
Slowly, the light from outside disappeared until there was only the crackling flame and the shrieking wind.
The cave was quiet. Most slept peacefully, some cried silently, wishing for better times. Sev stood near the exit, keeping the dim fire going, whistling a low tune hidden by the raging wind.
A quiet growl woke Astel from his deep sleep.
As he stirred awake, he slowly opened his eyes, wiping away the drowsiness with his hands. He saw an odd outline near the entrance of the cave. It wasn't familiar, but it seemed to be moving.
He quietly watched it walk straight past Sev, who stood right in front of it at the exit.
As his vision cleared, he realized what he was seeing.
The monster.
With a dim flash of white light, a spear appeared in his hand.
He dashed toward the moving creep, silent yet filled with seething anger.
Noticing him, the small monster swiped its tail and started running.
Not bothering to grab his hide cloak, Astel chased after it, stealing a quick glance at Sev—who hadn't moved a muscle.
'Did he fall asleep?' he thought, not having the time to confirm his suspicion.
Small white sparks surrounded Sev's hand as a tight leather glove disappeared from it, the corners of his lips curling into a slight smirk.
'Let's see what you do now.'
Astel climbed the slippery slopes of the stone mountain. Having learned his lesson from before, he didn't rely fully on the natural handrests but instead climbed using his spear.
The monster, however, was faster. It climbed with a certain grace, its tail swinging from side to side. It had a small, fat body with six short limbs that ended with what looked like suction cups.
It was too dark to make a more detailed profile, but Astel didn't need it. He knew it would die today.
"You've made one mistake, and that was to ignore me! I'll give you a painful death, lizard!" he screamed, trying to keep up, the wind blocking his voice.
Reaching the top, he saw a large, empty, snowy expanse. The monster was nowhere to be seen—only a thin trail in the shallow snow remained.
In a fit of rage, he screamed, throwing his spear high into the sky.
The spear slowly fell, but his gaze lingered.
The sky was clear, and above him stretched a vast expanse filled with millions of tiny stars of various sizes and colors. Twin moons shared the infinite space, lighting up the night with a vibrant white hue.
Looking closer, he noticed a deep grey fog covering the sky above him, blocking the stars from shining brighter—making it feel… more real.
Only one word came to mind.
'Astel.'
A tear formed in his eye. He tried to wipe it away with his hand, but it had already frozen and fell to his feet.
His body was shaking from the cold, but he didn't move—couldn't move.
It was just so, so captivating. So beautiful. So… scary.
Finally getting hold of himself, he turned his gaze away, looking at where they had come from.
In the distance, he saw the light-blue desert expanding into infinity, beyond the horizon. And even beyond that, tall pillars covered in fog extended into the gorgeous sky.
The longer he looked, the more he saw. Hundreds, if not thousands—maybe even millions—of pillars stood side by side.
It reminded him of when he stood above the boundless sky, looking at the distant minds of other people. Each having their own island, their own palace… their own pillar.
Exhaling slowly, he thought, 'So this is it, huh?' as he fell to one knee.
The pain in his chest steadily grew, becoming almost unbearable. It felt like vines growing around his heart, impatiently squeezing it. As if the vines were covered in thorns, digging deeper, thirsting for his blood—for his life.
"Ugh, not now," he cried out, a breath short.
This couldn't be the end. He was finally there.
The place he dreamed of ever since he appeared above the clear sky.
It turned out, in a way, he had always been there. The other him had, at least.
The collective subconscious.
The world fell still. Even the wind seemed to stop.
Without announcing itself, a word came to mind—as if it had always been there.
"The Land Within." he mouthed silently.
A deep, satisfied smile formed on his trembling face. His hand clutched his chest, energy circulating throughout his body.
He may have failed today, but at least he didn't feel like he'd lost.
Far above him, the twin moons shone like unblinking eyes, watching… waiting.