The night air was thick with the scent of incense, perfumed oils, and something richer—spice and wine mingling with the faint traces of rain on cobblestone. Luthadel did not sleep, not entirely. Even now, under the watchful eye of the twin moons, the streets pulsed with life, especially in the Moonlit Hollow.
Lanterns lined the narrow pathways, their soft, golden glow casting shifting shadows against the dark wooden buildings. Silken banners hung overhead, embroidered with intricate patterns of foxes and wolves entwined in eternal dances of temptation. The murmurs of laughter and hushed conversations drifted through the open air, punctuated by the distant strum of a lute and the occasional chime of bells from within the pleasure houses.
I walked slowly, aimlessly, my boots clicking softly against the stone. It wasn't the revelry or the allure of the Hollow that had drawn me out of the inn. No, it was something deeper—an unease that refused to let me rest.
"You feel it, don't you?"
Veylara's voice slid into my mind like silk, smooth yet insidious, curling around my thoughts in a whisper. "This city is different. It breathes, it watches. But more than that… something here is waiting."
I exhaled through my nose, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. "Is that why you woke me up?"
"I only nudged you, dear Noctis. You were already half-awake, weren't you?"
I frowned, but she was right. The moment my eyes had opened in the darkness of my room, I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Something had been gnawing at me ever since we arrived. A feeling at the edge of my consciousness, growing heavier with every passing day.
"Maybe I just needed some air."
"Liar," she cooed, amusement lacing her voice. "You needed to be away from them. From her."
My jaw tensed, but I kept walking.
"You can pretend all you like," Veylara continued, her voice low, almost affectionate. "But you're different now. And you know it. No matter how much Elaris smiles at you, no matter how tightly she holds your hand… she feels it too, doesn't she? That you're slipping further away."
I clenched my fists. "That's not true."
"Isn't it?"
My silence was answer enough.
A breeze stirred the air, carrying the sound of soft laughter and the faint chime of glass. The courtesans of the Hollow lounged in doorways, draped in silks that shimmered under the lantern glow, their tails flicking lazily as they watched the world pass by. Fox and wolf beastkin, their eyes sharp and knowing, exchanged hushed whispers behind painted fans. Some smiled as I passed, their gazes lingering. I ignored them.
"They look at you differently, you know."
I felt Veylara's presence pressing closer, her voice curling around my ear like a lover's whisper. "Not just these women, but everyone. The moment you stepped into Luthadel, they knew."
"Knew what?" I murmured.
"That you are something else now. Something… not quite human anymore."
I stopped in my tracks, inhaling sharply.
"Your light magic is gone. Stolen. And in its place, the Rift hums beneath your skin, hungry, insatiable."
I swallowed, my fingers twitching. I had felt it every time I called upon my new power. The way it clung to me, whispering promises of strength. The way it demanded something in return.
"They sense it, even if they don't understand it," Veylara continued. "Even Elaris, even Alaria. The way they look at you now… haven't you noticed?"
I had. I hated that I had.
It was subtle, but it was there—the way Elaris hesitated before touching me sometimes, the way Alaria's gaze lingered too long, as if waiting for me to snap. They would never say it aloud, but the Rift had changed me. I wasn't sure I could deny it anymore.
I leaned against a wooden post, rubbing my temples. "What do you want, Veylara?"
"Want?" She laughed, soft and knowing. "I simply wish to remind you, dear Noctis, that you are not alone in this."
I scoffed. "Is that what you call it? You whisper in my head, fill it with half-truths and riddles, and somehow that's supposed to make me feel less alone?"
"You wound me."
I could feel her smirk. I could see it, even though she wasn't truly here.
"I only tell you what you already know," she continued, her tone gentler now, almost soothing. "You cannot go back to who you were. They may love you, Noctis, but they will never understand you. Not as I do."
I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly.
"But you don't have to fight it."
My fingers twitched. "Fight what?"
"The Rift. The power I have given you. You still resist it, even now. Why?"
I hesitated. "Because I know what it does. I've felt what it takes."
"And yet," she whispered, "you still call upon it, don't you?"
My breath hitched. The memory of the battle with the vampire king burned in my mind—the way I had needed the Rift to win, the way it had answered me like it had been waiting all along. The way it had made me feel powerful. Invincible.
For a moment, just a moment, I had felt like a god.
And yet, I had also felt the price. The way my body ached after, the way my thoughts felt… frayed at the edges. As if I was losing pieces of myself with every use.
"You're afraid," Veylara said, softer now. "Afraid of what you could become."
I didn't answer.
"But there is no need for fear, Noctis. You do not have to fight the Rift. You only have to accept it. Embrace it. Let it become a part of you, as it was always meant to be."
I opened my eyes, staring down at my hands. In the dim lantern light, I swore I could see them flicker—just for a moment, just at the edges, like the Rift itself was reaching through me.
I let out a slow breath. "I need to go back."
"Of course," she murmured. "For now."
I turned, making my way back through the Hollow. The courtesans still watched, their smiles knowing, their tails swaying in amusement.
I ignored them.
But even as I walked, I could still feel her presence, lingering in my mind, her words wrapping around my thoughts like chains of silk.
You do not have to fight it.
Maybe… maybe she was right.
I made my way back through the quiet, lamplit streets of Luthadel, my thoughts heavy with Veylara's words. The Rift pulsed beneath my skin, humming like a second heartbeat, a power that both called to me and repulsed me in equal measure. The night felt colder now, the weight of something unseen pressing against my shoulders.
The scent of spices and incense still lingered in the air as I passed through the Moonlit Hollow again. The fox and wolf beastkin courtesans lounged in their doorways, their golden eyes following my movements, their silken tails swaying behind them in lazy arcs. One of them, a fox-eared woman draped in a sheer crimson robe, smiled at me as I passed.
"Lost in thought, are we?" she purred, her voice carrying that knowing lilt.
I barely glanced at her. "Something like that."
She chuckled, stepping closer, her delicate fingers grazing my sleeve. "Careful where your thoughts take you, stranger. Luthadel has a way of making men lose themselves."
I pulled my arm away gently, shaking my head. "I'm already lost."
The woman hummed, tilting her head as if seeing something beneath my skin that I wished she couldn't. "Then perhaps it's time you stopped looking for the way back." Her tail curled around her leg as she turned away, disappearing into the shadows of the Hollow.
I exhaled through my nose, rubbing my temple. You do not have to fight it. Veylara's words echoed in my skull. I clenched my jaw, quickening my pace toward the inn.
The streets were emptier now, the flickering lanterns casting long, wavering shadows across the cobblestones. The feeling of being watched hadn't left me. If anything, it had intensified.
"They know you're different now," Veylara murmured, her voice sliding through my thoughts like silk. "They sense it, even if they cannot name it. The Rift lingers on you like the scent of blood."
I stopped in my tracks, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. "Then maybe I should wash it off."
A low chuckle. "You cannot cleanse what you have already become, Noctis."
I inhaled sharply, shaking my head. "I just need to get back. I need sleep."
"Sleep?" she cooed. "Do you really believe sleep will make a difference now?"
I said nothing. Instead, I kept walking.
The inn was in sight, its warm glow spilling onto the streets, a stark contrast to the cold weight curling in my chest. As I stepped through the doors, the common room was quiet, save for a few lingering patrons and the low hum of conversation.
Elaris wasn't there. Neither was Alaria. That was a small relief—I didn't have the energy to deal with their questions right now.
I climbed the stairs slowly, my body heavier than it had been just hours ago. My fingers tightened around the door handle before I pushed it open. Inside, the room was dark, save for the moonlight spilling in through the window.
Elaris was curled beneath the blankets, her breathing slow and steady. Her golden hair cascaded over the pillow, strands catching the pale light, making her look almost ethereal.
For a moment, I just stood there, watching her.
She senses it too, you know, Veylara whispered, softer this time. The change in you. She knows something is different, even if she does not want to admit it.
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. I hated that I believed her.
Moving carefully, I slid into bed beside Elaris. As soon as I did, she stirred, a soft noise escaping her lips before she turned toward me, pressing her face against my shoulder.
"You were gone," she murmured sleepily, her voice thick with drowsiness.
"I couldn't sleep," I admitted, my fingers hesitating before brushing through her hair. "Went for a walk."
She let out a tired hum, her arms wrapping around my waist. "You always do that when something's on your mind."
I didn't answer.
She shifted slightly, her lavender eyes blinking up at me, still half-lidded with exhaustion. "You're colder than usual."
I stiffened.
Elaris frowned, her fingers brushing against my forearm, and I knew she could feel it—the faint, unnatural chill that lingered beneath my skin, the Rift's influence refusing to fade.
"See?" Veylara murmured in my head. "Even now, she notices."
I forced a smile, leaning down to press a kiss to Elaris's forehead. "I'm fine," I lied.
She didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push, instead sighing and tucking herself closer against me. "Just… don't disappear on me, okay?"
I swallowed thickly, nodding against her hair. "I won't."
Another lie.
Elaris let out a soft breath, her grip on me tightening as she drifted back to sleep. I laid there, staring at the ceiling, Veylara's presence still curling in the back of my mind.
"You cannot escape this, Noctis. The Rift is a part of you now. You may delay it, you may ignore it, but it will never let you go."
I closed my eyes.
It was going to be a long night.
Sleep never truly came.
I laid there, staring at the ceiling while Elaris slept soundly against me, her breath slow and steady. Her warmth should have been comforting, grounding—but all it did was remind me how cold I felt. How different I was now.
The Rift hummed in my veins like an insatiable hunger, restless, waiting. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, it coiled around me like an invisible chain, a silent reminder of the path I had chosen.
"You can feel it, can't you?" Veylara's voice was little more than a whisper in my mind, soft but unshakable. "The way it beckons to you, the way it lingers beneath your skin. You are changing, Noctis."
I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening on the blanket. "I know."
"And yet, you resist."
"Because I have to."
A chuckle, dark and velvety. "Do you?"
I forced a slow breath, turning my head slightly to look at Elaris. She was still asleep, her golden hair spilling over my arm, her body curled close to mine like she could shield me from whatever storm was raging inside me. I wished she could.
"You love her," Veylara mused, her tone almost thoughtful. "And she loves you. But love is not enough to change what you are becoming."
"I never asked to become this."
"No one asks for destiny, Noctis. It simply arrives, whether you are ready or not."
I shut my eyes, trying to block her out, but she was relentless.
"What will you do when she realizes?" Veylara continued, her voice like silk wrapping around my thoughts. "When she looks at you and sees what you are truly becoming? Will she still reach for you then? Will she still whisper your name with love, or will it be with fear?"
I exhaled sharply, my patience fraying. "You don't know her."
"Perhaps." A pause. "But I do know what the Rift does to its wielders. I know what it has already begun to do to you."
I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling the steady thrum of my heartbeat beneath my palm. It felt… wrong. Like something was threading itself into me, something I couldn't shake off no matter how hard I tried.
"You can delay it," Veylara continued, her tone almost pitying. "You can hide it. But it will consume you all the same. And when that time comes, will she still love you then?"
I swallowed hard, staring into the darkness.
I didn't have an answer.
Elaris shifted against me, murmuring something in her sleep, her fingers tightening around the fabric of my shirt. I turned my head to look at her again, my throat tight.
"She will break before she lets you go," Veylara whispered, almost amused. "And so, you will have to decide, Noctis—do you hold onto her, knowing what it will cost? Or do you let her go before she is forced to watch you fade?"
I gritted my teeth. "You don't know anything."
"I know more than you think." Veylara's voice curled like smoke through my mind. "And I know this—your time is running out. The Rift will take what it is owed. You will not be spared."
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing her voice away, forcing the thoughts away, focusing only on the warmth of Elaris beside me.
Just for a little while longer, I wanted to pretend none of this was happening.
Just for a little while longer, I wanted to pretend I was still the same.
But deep down, I knew the truth.
I was already changing.
And soon, there would be no pretending left.