novelraw Chapter 281: Forgotten Dreams
Chapter 281: Forgotten Dreams
Chapter 281: Forgotten Dreams The tumultuous wind whistled the howls of damned souls. Again and again, masked by a cacophony of empty promises.
“I must save her.
“Failure isn’t an option.
“I deserve to exist.
“I deserve. . .
“Exist. . .
“I . . .
The raging storm brewed an everlasting potion of sorrow and anger. He was trapped within its eye—forced to watch as the memories around him spun faster and faster, until even his vision blurred.
There were scenes of a woman’s smile—full of yearning and trust. Her starry eyes watching his destiny unfold before her own end. There were also scenes of darkness, of desperate pleas, of true hope dangling just beyond his reach.
There was a scene. . . where his failures fully materialized.
And as the whispers of wind aimed to strangle him, he glanced down below him to find a bloody mountain—its starry summit twinkling beyond sight’s edge, trembling as it twisted and morphed into something unrecognizable.
There was only one whisper that reached him in the end:
“Thank you. . . for caring for me all this time, Elara.”
His mind scattered in all directions, only to be pieced back together moments later. A flash of light enveloped him that quickly faded into a dark and gloomy scene.
Soren jolted awake, his heart beating out of chest as his breaths came and went.
“You’re finally up,” Ynixia’s annoyance echoed with each syllable. He glanced around, noticing himself atop a colossal skeletal creature. Albert’s heavy steps treaded upon Carcosa’s harsh soil, sending rhythmic shudders through his bones.
He glanced toward the dark coffin positioned next to him. Its missing lid revealed a bed of pale white flowers—a young noble girl slumbering peacefully atop it.
“You’re one to talk,” he clicked his tongue then clutched his throbbing temples. “I’ve been helping with Albert’s meals all this time. When will you awaken?”
She paused for a second, then an answer echoed from the surrounding dark mist. “I believe it won’t take long. By the time we reach Hyades Castle, I should regain most of my body’s functions.”
“Hyades Castle. . .” The name made him recall many things.
To others, it may seem unbelievable, but after spending three or four months in Carcosa, it became far too difficult to deny this one singular truth:
The Avalon Empire still exists here.
No, perhaps calling it that might be inaccurate. Lately, Soren began calling it something else instead:
The Death Empire.
Everything that once existed in Yarian—every aspect of the now erased Age of Mysteries—existed here as well. In Carcosa.
Hyades Castle was one such relic. It was the origin of King Arthur’s reign—the very first bastion he conquered after arriving on that mystical land. But the Outer Boundary held many other ancient secrets. The ruins they were currently crossing for example hold a deep connection to the Avalon Empire too. Many of the ‘Shadows’ that roamed aimlessly there were of people from that long forgotten era.
Kirell was one such example. That child likely belonged to a clan or tribe that once worshipped the Heavenly Loop during that era. He could also tell from the ancient Dulvali accent he spoke in. Many of the other shadows they had hunted in the past few weeks possessed similar origins.
It was all really strange. And since Ynixia’s memories were unreliable, Soren had no way of confirming the truth.
He did, however, cultivate a theory. Since his arrival in this world seemed related to the Nameless Mist, it was fair to assume the same applied to the rest of things he had witnessed during his travels. As Merlin put it, King Arthur once aimed to erase the existence of his own lies. . .
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He had erased His own empire—the very thing He and His knights poured blood, sweat, and tears to build. Numerous sacrifices were made, all for Him to throw it all away in the end.
And now, the fractured memories of that bygone era were once again appearing before his very eyes. As if to resist their own demise—desperately clinging to the light.
The light of remembrance. . .
Indeed, even the remaining inhabitants possess this quality. Every person Soren had met so far aside from Ynixia has been the same: Shadows clinging to what once was. Fragmented memories that can’t even recall their own existence.
Some of them have forgotten names. Others have forgotten faces, like Kirell. . . There were even some that possessed all of these qualities, but lacked no consciousness at all. As if they were simply puppets, operating on a script. These fragments were usually the most annoying to deal with.
Strangest of all, each inhabitant possessed a living shadow—an embodiment of what had been erased. These shadows were also extremely unique. Some held antagonistic relationships with their fragmented self, while others were either more neutral or extremely friendly. There were even some that desired independence—roaming the Outer Boundaries without a care in the world, completely separated from their other half.
The independent ones were usually the most terrifying to deal with. Not only was their intelligence extremely high, they almost always held extraordinary strength—far beyond anything he could handle. In his first week in this demented world, he had witnessed a clash between two such living shadows. The battle ended with a large portion of the ruins completely devastated. He had personally seen one of them cast magecraft as well. . .
His frown deepened as he watched the echoes of the past marching by. Albert strolled forward, carefully avoiding the high risk areas—his colossal limbs meticulously maneuvered between the ruined structures of an ancient city. A city that no longer held a name.
“Did you dream anything interesting again?”
Ynixia’s words somewhat surprised him. He chuckled, answering without turning to face the coffin:
“Why do you wanna know? Don’t you always brag about having better dreams than me? Don’t tell me you had a boring night this time.”
She clicked her tongue. “I was just curious. Besides, even my most boring dream is probably still more interesting than yours.”
“Okay,” he shrugged, “so what? It’s just a dream, who really cares.”
She froze completely, unsure on how to respond. Eventually, Soren shook his head and sighed.
“It was just the same old nightmare. . . Nothing interesting about it.”
“Again?” Her voice sounded slightly worried. “Are you. . . okay?”
He took a moment to answer. “Who the hell knows.”
Nothing made sense to him anymore. The dreams that were recurring could have multiple causes. It might be just as Aelyne was assuming it to be—trauma. But there was also the possibility of fate interfering again. Though, the symbolisms he could analyze from the dreams did not fully point in that direction.
But there was also a third possibility: His new Abstract Rune—Somnium.
Over the past few months, it became evident to both himself and Biblion that they were accruing far too much corruption. Luckily, because the first two runes, Fairy Witness and Cantor’s Crown, occupied the 3rd and 2nd highest nodes in the Soul Chain, their influence was significantly higher compared to Somnium, which only possessed a Topology of 1. This meant that the corruption it spread was minimal, giving him much more time to prepare.
The only issue was, acquiring any Materials of Influence in this desolate hellscape was beyond impossible. Not to mention discovering them to begin with. . . At least with Cantor’s Crown, he was able to find enough information on each item to recreate them easily in [The Faerie Court]. That would have been the case, if not for the fact that Soren was currently stuck in Carcosa.
Every attempt at trying to escape through his Forgotten Rune promptly ended in failure. As if the surrounding space was adamantly against allowing anyone to leave.
He, like everyone else in this dreadful world, was completely trapped. Though, not everything was completely bleak—his connection to Biblion still remained, despite the Faerie Court being inaccessible.
Sensing his silence, Ynixia couldn’t help but sigh. “Forgive me for being crass, but what exactly is your goal, Soren?
“On our first meeting, I offered an exchange—I wished for your assistance in navigating Carcosa’s ancient lands. In return, I would aid you in any way I can whenever you needed it.”
Soren remained silent, unwilling to answer. Ynixia continued:
“But not only did you accept my offer right away, you never proposed any requests in return. So tell me, is there anything you desire? What is it that you hope to achieve by assisting me?”
He finally chuckled. “Nothing.”
“What?”
“I want nothing from you.”
She paused for a moment, letting the dark mist stir quietly. “I don’t believe you. I am certain you have some kind of purpose in mind. Is it not related to those dreams related to your. . . past?”
“Nope,” he shook his head and smiled. “I am only lending you my aid on a passing whim.”
“A whim. . .” Just saying the word left her utterly stunned.
Soren laughed softly as he gazed into the distance. “If you really want me to make up a reason, it might be because I enjoy pretending to be a guide. A traveling scribe who wishes to spread the wisdom he obtains to others.”
“Is that supposed to be a joke?”
Soren simply shrugged. “Who really knows. You should focus more on your own goals. Look up ahead,” he pointed into the distance, seeing past the endless fog through his mystical eyes.
“I can already see Hyades Castle from here.”