Birds of a Feather: Alone, Together

Torches of green flame hovered in the air without sconces, illuminating the final stretch of the corridor which was silent, save for the echo of the marching of the group. Their boots clattered on the floor as the jade glow of the flames cast ghostly, dancing shadows on their faces, inching closer to the Archives.

The Underground Levels were a place even instructors rarely visited, apparent from their inability to predict the trap from earlier. This area was not just a storage room, but rather a sanctuary of forgotten magic. Dust motes floated in the air like suspended gold as the smell of ancient parchment travelled from the archives to meet the group, inviting them inwards.

The adrenaline from the trap was still fading, leaving a cold sweat on Vanessa’s skin. Her breathing was still uneven, the trauma of repetitive death weighing heavy on her soul.

The group moved forward in a tighter formation now, the trust in their surroundings fractured by the near-death experience on the stairs. The walls of shimmering apatite, which pulsed slowly, no longer seemed beautiful, but menacing.

Arachna led the way, her sword still drawn. She didn't look back, but her attention was split with one eye on the path, the other feeling the strange, rippling signature flow of mana coming from Vanessa.

Behind her, Aureli and Silver walked side-by-side, unperturbed. The banter and tension was gone. They had fought together in the shadow maze, and while they wouldn't admit it, a begrudging respect had formed between them in the silence.

And then there was Ezekiel.

He walked right beside Vanessa now, true to his word, his eyes darting around, shielding her from the rest of the corridor, his presence a towering wall of grey.

There was an eerie air about him, almost ominous. There was not a sound coming from his mouth as his hollow eyes bored on the path ahead of him. As if he was seeing the fellow instructors but through them.

Clearly distraught, or so Vanessa thought. When he had arrived and taken Noah away, Vanessa could see his eyes, broken, drifting to the corpse covered in blood and looking away, painfully so. Ezekiel was grieving. Then…

Why would he insist on following them here?

Vanessa could feel herself wanting to slow down. She was not tired and yet, it felt like a path she suddenly did not want to walk down on as her legs trembled due to the phantom pain of shadow needles piercing her chest, refusing to go away.

I died, she thought, staring at the floor.

I died twice, and no one knows but me. I have to deal with this alone…

From the moment she had met Silver, nothing had gone smoothly for her, terrifyingly even. Would knowing more truths of her origin help?

I'm not even a part of this side of the world….

She found it ironic how she had left her shabby house trusting Silver, let herself die by his hands and despite the grandiose beginning, he was already drifting apart from her. His world was loud, vivid and untouchable for her. He knew people. People knew him. And Vanessa? Was she merely a decoration he carried out of curiosity? Was it wise to leave the world she had always clung to? Thoughts wandered in the depths of her mind, seeping into her bones

Just at that moment, a drop of condensation fell from the ceiling, splashing onto her forehead and breaking her trance.

"Ah!!"

She flinched violently, stumbling over her own feet, terrified of the memory of the trap, seizing her muscles. Before she could fall, strong arms caught her, steadying her by the waist with gentleness.

She looked up into a pool of grey abyss. Ezekiel’s eyes were hollow, but focused entirely on her.

"You are safe," Ezekiel murmured, his voice low and raspy. "I have you."

Vanessa blinked, grounding herself. "I apologize. I'm…" She trailed off, her breath hitching, taking a step back, letting a trill of uncomfortable laughter slip

"Terrified?" Ezekiel offered, intending to aid rather than mock. He respectfully stepped back, but kept his hand hovering near her, ready to catch her again.

"I wish I knew," Vanessa admitted, her voice shaking and uneasy. "I don't know what I'm even doing here. To be honest… I don't fit in. That trap… it targeted me. It’s a sign I’m out of my depth. I don’t belong in this fantastical world of magic and chaos. I was comfortable in my solitude… and now, everything is a mess."

Ezekiel’s expression softened. He looked haggard, the stress of the night weighing on him, yet he spoke with a fierce quietness. There was a subtle smile on his lips, his features painting the image of a cloudy evening on a cold day. Vanessa couldn't help but stare, something about him clawing out the curiosity in her eyes.

"My lady, if you try to find a place that fits you… you will search forever. It does not exist. This world is made for its partial favorites. Those of us who are odd… we often have to live with our heads down."

He glanced at the others ahead. "Like the Maiden of Glass in the old fables, who cut off her own heel just to fit into the slipper."

The party ahead of Ezekiel and Vanessa had started disappearing from her sight, in fact, she wasn't even paying attention to them anymore. Her eyes were focused on Ezekiel, by how his tone slightly lost its luster as he spoke of the unfair world.

"But the world favors the nobility, right? "

The question stirred the fire in his hollow eyes. He let out a defeated sigh. "What good is nobility if it's illegitimate? I am a noble in name, but the truth of my birth follows me like a shadow. A bastard loser with a title I was given out of spite. Even in the grave, it will haunt me."

He looked at her, his gaze intense. "That is why, when you said you don't fit in… I felt a kinship with you. Despite being an instructor, despite my name, I too am an outsider here."

A sense of camaraderie washed over Vanessa as she thought of how he had screamed her name in the lost timeline. He cares, she realized. He really cares.

"Then… you can call me naive, lord Sapphire," Vanessa said, finding a spark of courage. "But isn't that even more reason for us to make a place for ourselves? If the world rejects us, shouldn't we reject its rejection?"

Ezekiel looked at her, stunned by her resilience, a subtle laughter slipping. She had just faced death, yet here she was, talking about defiance.

"This requiem of souls belongs to none," Vanessa continued. "Each soul has the right to choose where it rests and its place in the world, right? I won’t be defeated by the weight of destiny. Let’s fight together."

For the first time that night, a genuine smile broke through Ezekiel’s grief. It wasn't a happy smile, but it was warm.

"Your words are like a fairy tale, my lady… but perhaps they hold gravity, and perhaps, they may save me yet."

They reached the end of the corridor. Ahead, Arachna and Aureli were waiting by a massive set of double doors made of petrified wood. Silver stood a few paces back, his hand clenching out of unease as he watched Vanessa laughing softly at something Ezekiel said.

Silver frowned. He wasn't just jealous; he was confused. Why does she trust him so much? he wondered. She looks at him like he saved her life.

He didn't know it, but, in another time, Ezekiel had tried. Silver had never seen Vanessa relaxed around anyone, not even him. But with Ezekiel, her guard was down.

"You know, just Vanessa is fine. I'm not even noble. You don't have to use terms like ‘lady’."

"Nonsense," Ezekiel replied. "I may be illegitimate, but I am a gentleman. What kind of man would not address a beautiful woman like yourself properly?"

Vanessa giggled. "Well, Silver just calls me by my name. And Lord Aureli calls me… whatever comes to his colorful mind."

"A total flirt and a barbarian," Ezekiel mumbled. "Don't let them treat you as such. You hold more power in your hands than you know."

"You flatter me, lord Sapphire."

"Just Ezekiel is fine," he corrected.

"You don't call me by my name though," she quipped.

"It is different when it's about me," he said stubbornly. "I am just a man. Treat me like one until I earn otherwise."

Bizarre, Silver thought, watching them. For a man with blood on his hands to find someone… adorable?

Arachna cleared her throat, her eyes flicking over Vanessa one last time before pushing the heavy doors open.

"Welcome," she said, her voice echoing into the darkness, "to the Mythical Archives."