Aren struck the flint. Sparks appeared amidst the darkness, brief bursts of light that vanished before they reached up to him.
The edge of the steel bit into his palm, drawing a thin line of blood. His hand trembled, whether from cold or exhaustion, he couldn't tell.
A spark ignited. He leaned down, cupping it with both hands and breathing gently into it. The ember grew brighter. Smoke rose and stung his eyes, making them water.
Flame crawled up the twigs, fragile and unsteady. Aren fed it more, slowly at first, then faster, as if the fire might take offense and vanish.
The air shifted, and the cold loosened with light spilling across the area surrounded by wide trees.
He stared into the flames for a long time, unmoving.
The wind howled. Aren pushed another branch into the fire.
"All it takes is one mistake, and it'll go out," Faye murmured calmly.
Aren sat back, leaning his back against the ground.
"What are we supposed to do now? We'll eventually get caught by the Order."
Faye thought for a few moments, letting silence linger in the air.
"There is nothing to do but continue to the Nameless Necropolis. Even if they manage to find us again, we'll get out of it like we always do."
Aren narrowed his eyes, "You're being too optimistic. You're not even mentioning the fact that we are here now because Kellen sacrificed himself. He's going to be facing endless torture now."
Faye's expression stayed unwavering, calm like a doll. "Why should I mention it? It was his decision. Given enough time, we could have held her back, even by myself. You know, I wasn't even using my second Shade, and neither were you."
Aren forced himself to stand on his feet, staring at Faye, who still had her eyes shut, visible through her soft blindfold.
"And you should understand the costs of using it. If it didn't make me lose my mind and act like a maniac, I would have used it!" He sat back down, shifting his gaze to the fire. "And I'm sure it's the same for you."
It was true. Using higher tiers of Shades in an Aberration would drive anyone to madness; it was common sense. For that reason, most Aberrants are usually avoided by people.
Even if they possessed such supernatural powers, losing their sanity would have made them public enemies.
Aren grabbed his tattered backpack and pulled out two pieces of bread from it. He handed one to Faye and started munching on his piece.
He glanced at Faye, and a curious question arose in his head as he saw her eyes.
"I've always wondered, why do you keep your eyes closed all the time? How do you even see?"
In his head, he turned around and continued, 'It creeps me out.'
Faye's lips curled up into a smile, then she gazed at Aren for a few moments without budging.
… Aren blinked.
'See! This is exactly what I mean!'
"It's a long story," Faye said, her voice resounding through the stillness of the forest.
Aren took another bite of his bread, wisely deciding not to speak to Faye any further. Who knew what kinds of things went on in her head?
Finishing his piece, he lay down again and stared into the distance outside the foggy forest covered in snow.
For a moment, the fire's crackle sounded like the snap of Kellen's grip as he shoved them away. Aren didn't like remembering the look in his eyes, but it clung to him anyway — that strange mix of fear and resolve. He hated that he couldn't tell if it was bravery… or surrender.
It did give him and Faye time to escape, but it was obvious that the Order had eyes everywhere, meaning it was a matter of time before they got into trouble again.
Aren sighed. He just wanted to go to the Nameless Necropolis to find out a secret that had lingered in his head for far too long.
In the Nameless Necropolis, hidden truths come to light, and identities disappear.
If he wanted to learn more about himself — about everything, he had to go there. Faye also happened to share the same destination.
'I'm going to sleep.' He decided, choosing not to think about the matter more than he had already.
He gently closed his eyes, allowing the warmth of the fire to overtake him while the winds howled at him from another side.
***
After waking up and eating another piece of bread, he stared at Faye, who was experimenting.
She sat down on her legs with her palms open, trying to form a smaller-scale beam in that area.
Her fingers twirled, then a distorted space started forming just above her palm. In a flashy and quick manner, it shot out from the tip of her finger into the sky as long as the trees around them.
"You should try using it like one of those… guns," Aren suggested.
Faye raised a brow, "What do you mean? Is that a term from Helmond City?"
Aren let out a disappointed sigh, "Like this."
He raised his hand and curled his fingers, leaving the index finger and thumb extended. Subsequently, he extended his index finger further, imitating the action of firing an ancient gun.
Faye shook her head, shutting Aren down completely.
"Yeah, okay. That's fine. Let's just go." Aren stood back up on his feet, ready to journey once more along the Pale Verge.
Aren inhaled and exhaled sharply, leaving his tattered backpack, and he walked forward with Faye.
"I need a weapon before we can continue to the Necropolis."
Faye rubbed a finger over her chin, thinking carefully. Then said in a low but reassuring voice, "I'm aware. And I know the perfect place."
Aren nodded. "Good. Just keep an eye out for those pesky members of the Order."
Faye smiled, an unusual expression that seemed somewhat out of place. She walked on ahead, her crunchy footsteps echoing in the forest.
In the far edges of the Pale Verge, there was a woman. She had pale skin and shoulder-length silver hair, partly covered by a black bonnet with lace and a red ribbon.
Her soft red eyes were calm, with a faint red shadow circling them, making her look tired yet strangely inhuman.
She wore a gothic black dress with gold, similar to a noble's outfit.
A red bow at her neck was pinned with a small gold emblem. Despite her delicate look, she showed quiet strength as she carried what looked to be her figure in her arms.
"It seems I've put too much expectation in Isolde."
She caressed the hair of her figure in her arms, then said in a low voice, "I ought to seek them out myself."