His black hair swayed gently with the breeze.
He lay upon emerald-green grass, his midnight-blue eyes fixed on the cloudless sky.
The warm sunlight illuminated his pale skin.
Noctis stared blankly into the vast expanse above. Inside, he felt... peaceful. His arms were spread open beside him, and the first breath he took burned his lungs—he wasn't used to clean air.
After everything that had happened, he had finally regained consciousness.
For a few seconds, he simply savored the stillness. Then, the realization struck him—this was the realm of magic.
He sat up quickly, alert.
When he glanced down, he noticed his clothes had changed.
He was dressed entirely in black—the color he loved most. He didn't know what era the outfit belonged to, but he could tell it was old.
'Comfortable, at least.'
Slowly, he looked around.
And with every turn of his head, dread crept in. The place… was the same as in his nightmare. The small lake glimmering with reflected sunlight, the ancient trees blocking the sun's reach, and the distant mountains brushing the edge of the sky—
all of it was identical.
Noctis's heartbeat quickened.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He didn't want to look behind him, yet an eerie urge pressed him to. He resisted for a few seconds—but in the end, he turned.
Behind him stood a colossal mountain.
But it was nothing like the one from his nightmare. There were no cracks, no door reflecting the void. It was just another mountain, like those far in the distance.
His racing heart began to calm.
He exhaled deeply.
"With light, this place doesn't feel scary at all."
For several minutes, he examined his surroundings. When he looked up at the sun, he found nothing strange.
Narrowing his eyes, he roughly gauged where it would set. He had no idea where to go, but with no other choice, he decided to move west.
Climbing up a small hill, he finally saw how high he was. Below lay rolling fields of emerald grass dotted with stones—some small, some massive.
There weren't many trees, but a few stood scattered in the distance.
The cloudless blue sky and the gleaming green earth painted a breathtaking scene.
Though cautious by nature, Noctis couldn't help but be captivated.
"This place... really is beautiful."
Noctis kept walking without pause.
His eyes moved constantly, scanning every detail. The soft breeze made the emerald grass sway like gentle waves.
Nothing else moved.
In the magical realm, encountering animals was a rare occurrence.
Noctis didn't expect to see any.
He searched for signs of human-like structures—but found nothing.
Hours passed beneath the scorching sun.
Thirst crept in, but he was used to it.
In the Exiled District, clean water was scarce, and Noctis had learned to endure it.
For now, it was tolerable.
What bothered him wasn't thirst—it was hunger. But not the kind that came from his stomach. It was deeper, stranger... as if something within him demanded to be fed.
"I'm sick of seeing green everywhere."
He finally spotted a large tree nearby and walked toward its shadow to rest.
Stepping into the shade, he leaned his back against the rough bark and exhaled deeply.
Noctis tilted his head back, closing his eyes for a moment. The clean air burned his lungs, but he kept breathing it in, over and over.
For a fleeting moment, he felt calm.
Unfortunately, that peace didn't last.
There was something wrong with the shadow of the tree. Noctis opened his eyes sharply and stood up.
The ancient tree didn't move—
but its shadow did.
The shadow rippled unnaturally.
Noctis's eyes widened as he watched it twist, pulling inward on itself, its shape condensing until faint limbs began to form.
Slowly, the ink-black darkness gathered and took shape—rising from the ground as if peeling itself free from the earth.
It became a living thing.
Noctis's instincts screamed at him to run,
and he obeyed immediately.
Without looking back, he bolted, swearing under his breath. Behind him, the shadow creature solidified—it now had a form.
And it was watching him.
It tilted its head ever so slightly, then took a single step forward.
Noctis kept running at full speed.
As he ran, something stirred inside him—an odd, rising sensation.
He didn't know what it was, but deep down... he felt like running was the wrong choice.
'***'
He ran for several minutes before exhaustion forced him to slow down.
Breathing heavily, he turned his head—
nothing followed.
The trees had grown thicker around him.
Still, the feeling of being watched refused to fade.
He needed to find shelter before the sun went down. After a few more minutes of trudging forward, he spotted a hill in the distance.
It wasn't far, but the climb would be tough.
Determined, he pushed through the dense trees and began his ascent.
The higher he went, the harder he breathed.
When he finally reached the top, he turned to look behind him. A forest of endless green stretched far into the horizon.
He sighed—then lowered his gaze.
And when his eyes fell upon what lay below...
they widened in shock.
He instantly dropped flat to the ground.
What he saw filled him with both awe and dread.
Down below—on the vast field—two swarms of men stood facing each other like armies of ants, one on the left, one on the right.
They carried flags and weapons, their armor gleaming beneath the sun.
It didn't take long for Noctis to realize—
this was a battlefield.
The army on the left bore a white banner, marked by a green stag rising proudly on its hind legs. The army on the right carried a red flag, emblazoned with a black wolf.
Minutes passed as Noctis lay hidden, eyes darting between both sides, studying their formations. Each army stirred. Riders appeared at the front lines—one from each side—mounted on tall horses. They rode before their soldiers, stopped, and faced each other.
Then, a sound tore through the air—
a shrill, ear-piercing blast.
Noctis flinched. The sound of war horns trembled through his bones.
Both armies advanced, their formation collapsing into chaos as steel met flesh.
The first rows died instantly.
The Green Stag soldiers unleashed a rain of arrows. The Black Wolf side raised their shields high, covering the sky in iron.
Behind the wolf ranks, a group of robed figures raised their hands toward the heavens.
Noctis's eyes widened.
From the sky, sharp stones rained down—
a storm of jagged spears of rock.
He instinctively looked up, shielding his head to make sure none were falling toward him.
The Green Stag's mages countered; those in the center lifted their hands, forming a wide, transparent barrier that shimmered like heat.
Then, from behind their line, a massive bear charged forward— a woman with crimson hair riding upon its back.
In her hand, a bow.
As she drew it—without even placing an arrow—flames gathered between her fingers.
When she released, a blazing shaft of fire shot through the air, arcing toward the enemy.
It struck a man in the chest.
The fiery arrow pulsed, glowing brighter—
then burst apart into dozens of searing fragments, each shard flying into the eyes of nearby soldiers.
Screams echoed through the valley.
From the Black Wolf's ranks, a massive white wolf bounded forward, its fur shimmering like snow under sunlight.
Upon its back rode a man gripping a long spear. He urged the beast onward—
faster, faster—until it leapt over his own soldiers, crashing into the enemy lines.
He drove his spear into a defender's chest.
The man had raised his shield, but the strike pierced through it as if it were paper.
As the victim fell lifeless, the rider pulled his spear free and met the red-haired woman's gaze across the battlefield.
He pointed his weapon at her.
The spear itself was strange—
too long, too sharp, its edges gleaming like liquid light.
The woman dismounted her bear.
The man leapt from his wolf.
Both lunged toward each other with explosive speed— fire and fury meeting in the center of carnage.
Noctis couldn't tear his eyes away.
A storm of emotions surged within him—
curiosity, fear, excitement.
His wide eyes followed every motion.
He couldn't make out all the details from this distance, but he kept watching—
utterly captivated by the chaos below.
A soft yet pleasant voice pulled Noctis back to reality.
"Pretty ridiculous, isn't it? The ones in front die while the commanders live… If you knew what they were fighting for, you'd start swearing."
Noctis flinched and clumsily stood up, nearly tripping over his own foot.
The young man chuckled in amusement.
"Hey, relax. No need to panic… Sorry for startling you."
Noctis straightened up and turned toward the voice. The speaker looked about his age—wheat-colored skin, eyes like melted chocolate, and messy, straw-blond hair that caught the light. The green outfit he wore gave him an oddly elegant air.
He was sitting casually on a nearby boulder. Hidden by the brush, Noctis hadn't noticed him before.
Noctis frowned, stepping forward to grab a loose stone from the ground.
The elegant stranger lifted both hands in mock surrender, his voice calm and smooth.
"Ah… I hope you're not thinking of throwing that at me. I really am sorry for scaring you.
Besides, that stone wouldn't help much."
Noctis didn't sense any magic coming from him. The young man wasn't a Sinner—at least not one radiating power—so he didn't seem like an immediate threat. Still, Noctis tossed the stone aside but kept his guard up, slowly stepping away from the cliff's edge.
"Who are you? And why are you talking to me?"
The stranger lowered his hands and sighed in relief before smiling faintly.
"My name's River. I was just watching the show. I was already here—you're the one who came after me.
What about you?"
Noctis stayed silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on River.
'What should I tell him? My name's fine… but my purpose?'
Keeping his expression firm, he answered in a flat tone.
"My name's Noctis. I'm a wanderer. Got lost while traveling. I just need a safe place to rest."
River's smile widened a little.
"Noctis, huh? Alright then, Noctis. I'll give you a safe place."
Noctis raised a brow, glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby.
"Why?"
River shrugged and pointed northwest.
"You're a wanderer. Every kingdom helps wanderers… Come on, it's almost nightfall. You really don't want to stay out here after dark."
Noctis stared at him for a while, his face unreadable.
He didn't trust River—something about that calm smile felt off.
But with no other choice, he finally nodded.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
River smiled softly and glanced one last time at the battlefield below.
Noctis followed his gaze, taking a final look at the scene of death and chaos.
Then, together, they began to walk.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Every time Noctis looked at River, he noticed that faint, ever-present smile on his face.
It unsettled him—deep down, his instincts whispered suspicion.
The sun dipped lower toward the horizon.
The shadows of rocks and trees stretched and merged, shifting like living things.
And somewhere behind them, a shadow—pure black, ink-like and formless—watched.
It took a single, silent step forward.