[Prologue] Departure

To my dearest Alora

I still remember the day I moved into this town… the day I met you. I carried the burden of a religious family, always looked down upon for being a follower of Bahamut… but, you always smiled at me. 

I remember the first time I went to school, it wasn’t religious like my previous one, so my mother made me promise I’d read the teachings whenever I could. After all, I had to study hard to become the priestess she couldn't be. Oh, how I wish she didn’t make me promise that… that day I learned how cruel people can be… but also, how beautiful.

How did you know what happened to me? Did you see me cry while picking up the scattered pages of my book of teachings? I never knew why you started looking out for me, but that evening on my way back home, you were waiting for me. Without a word, you mended my book back together, tended my wounds and brushed my hair back in place. My parents didn’t even know what happened that day… what you put in my book nor what happened to those kids…

As we grew older, we grew closer. The ‘new’ book of teachings you made for me told me everyone’s secrets, everyone’s regrets and pretty much all the dirt you could find from anyone in town. We would laugh at how people thought I had some “divine power of truth” and how I could be the best priestess in Avalon, even my mom was proud of me. 

In time I learned why we couldn't be seen together, your family and acquaintances were against the South, accusing us of “brainwashing” or “taking over” the land that we were fairly invited to. We started meeting where barely anyone stepped into. The graveyard. We would meet every day to discuss what new secrets we uncovered and gossip about the entire town. You were always so knowledge-hungry; at some point, just gossips couldn’t suffice, you longed for greater secrets… was it then when you started the rituals?  Was it there that we drifted apart?

We stopped seeing each other often, but I would often visit the graveyard in hopes of you. Now, oh how I loathe that place… I did see you again there… what I wasn’t expecting was to see you resting in a coffin. 

I desperately reached out for answers only to be dismissed. They knew something, I know they did, but of the two I never was the good one on finding out truths. I disconsolately mourned for you. I’ve never felt more lonesome in my life than then. More than once I wailed at the edge of Shieldbearer’s cliff longing to join you. It was there where I met it…

I was paralyzed with fear at first, I could not understand what I was in the presence of. When it spoke, it was like all reality trembled yet you couldn’t hear a sound. It asked for my servitude in exchange for my grief; I didn't understand what it meant at first, but before I could put my thoughts into words, it’s colossal body started leaning back from where it came from, as if it was enjoying its slumber at the bottom of the ocean. Before it was completely gone, I yelled at the top of my lungs. I don’t remember the exact words, but I remember seeing you there again. You smiled at me like then.

Every night I'd lay there to sleep, I could see you, it was like before. I was happy. It’s been five autumns since last we spoke in my dreams, I can’t dream of you again, in fact, I can’t even dream at all. Today I leave for the Academy, my foolish parents still think I'll become a priestess… but I’ll confess since the night I spoke to it I’ve been able to use these… powers… powers I’ll use to wake it from its slumber to find a way so I can dream of you again.