ECHOES OF A HERO, CRIES OF JEALOUSY

The first day of their journey into the depths of the Void territory was monotonous. They crossed ash plains and petrified forests in a tense silence, broken only by the occasional (and terrible) jokes of Ikel, who tried to lighten the mood.

— Do you know why the golem broke up with the gargoyle? Because he felt their relationship was too rocky! — he bellowed, letting out a laugh that was only answered by Luce's joyous applause.

— That joke is structurally deficient and lacks a witty punch line — Lyra commented with her expressionless face, which caused Ikel to laugh even louder.

Mitsu, walking ahead with Noelia, simply sighed, a sound laden with annoyance. — I'm surrounded by noisy idiots. —

On the second day, the dynamic changed. As they made their way through a narrow gorge, Asimil found himself walking alongside Luce. Her energy was inexhaustible, a source of light in that gloomy world.

— And then the squirrel king declared me his mortal enemy, all for an acorn! I had to run from an army of rodents with tiny spears for three days!

He couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time in a long time that he really laughed, a genuine laugh without the weight of anxiety. Her charisma was infectious.

— You sound like you're getting into trouble on purpose — he joked

— They're not problems, they're unexpected side adventures! — she replied with a wink.

Their laughter echoed through the gorge. And apparently, they echoed too loudly.

— WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP AT ONCE! — Noelia's voice was like a whiplash of ice. She turned sharply, her face a mask of fury. — This is not a walk in the park! This is a mission into enemy territory! Your childish chatter is going to attract every monster within a three-mile radius! Behave like the warriors you're supposed to be! —

Her reaction was so over the top, so disproportionate, that Luce and Asimil were silent, dumbfounded. He could see Ikel frown, confused by the outburst.

It was Mitsu who spoke, his voice tinged with condescending boredom. — Noelia, dear. A bit excessive, don't you think? Even I'm not that demanding. Let them breathe. —

The comment, coming from him, seemed to infuriate her even more. She shot Mitsu a murderous glare, muttered "Idiots" and turned around, moving to the front of the formation and setting a pace that was almost impossible to follow.

That night, the atmosphere in the camp was tense. Noelia had isolated herself from the group, sitting on a rock away from the campfire. He, feeling a strange pang of guilt, decided to talk to her.

He found her watching the corrupted sky, her solitary silhouette against the purple light. — Noelia... — he began, his voice sounding unsure. — Is everything all right? —

She did not turn around. The silence grew longer, uncomfortable. He thought about leaving, that he had made a mistake. But then she spoke. Her voice was a whisper, so low it was almost carried away by the wind.  — I thought you were him... —

— What? — he asked, leaning in a little closer, certain that he had misheard.
 

—The hero of my dreams... — she continued, her voice a mixture of confession and self-deprecation. — Sometimes, when I see you... especially when you fight... I see an echo of him. And for a moment, I thought it was you. That you were here. —

He froze, not understanding anything.  — The hero of your dreams? Noelia, I can't hear you well? —

She shook her head, as if awakening from a trance. She stood abruptly, her armor of arrogance snapping back into place. — It's nothing. Forget it. I'm tired. —

She walked past him without looking at him and went to her tent, leaving him in the dark, more confused than ever.

He returned to the campfire, his mind was in chaos. He sat down, and a skewer of grilled meat appeared in front of him.

— I saved one for you — Luce said, sitting next to him. Her smile was calm. — You eat, you feel better. Rule number one of survival. —

They ate in comfortable silence, her simple, cheerful presence a balm to his confusion. She didn't ask what had happened. She was simply there.

He understood then the situation. She believed that he was the hero of her dreams, and maybe in another life, in another loop, he was.