"Hey, Noctis... Which kingdom are you from?
Or maybe... a village?"
Noctis tensed up a little, pausing for a few seconds before answering.
"I'm from a small village... It's far away. After my family died, I became a wanderer and took to the roads."
Noctis couldn't see River's face clearly, but he sensed something strange in his tone. After a brief silence, that calm, pleasant voice echoed again.
"I see... Then tell me, how did you end up by that cliff? There are only two paths leading there. Judging from your scent... you must've passed through the Shadow Garden. How did you survive that?"
Noctis raised an eyebrow. They were walking at a steady pace, but he stayed cautious around River.
"The Shadow Garden? What's that supposed to be?"
River's smile faded slightly.
"It's the name of the region where shadows gather the most. Don't you have one where you're from? You didn't run into any shadows on your way here?"
River glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Noctis shook his head slightly.
"Not too many... But right before I came here, I did encounter one."
River suddenly stopped. His smile vanished completely as his eyes darted around, scanning their surroundings. He took a cautious step forward and lowered his voice.
"Did you see it? Did it follow you?"
Noctis frowned slightly, feeling a hint of unease.
"I don't know... But something felt wrong along the way."
River climbed onto a small rock. The crimson rays of the setting sun stretched the shadows of trees and stones across the ground. His expression darkened when he noticed something odd about them.
He jumped down from the rock and looked sharply at Noctis, his voice suddenly loud and commanding.
"Don't look back... and stay right behind me."
Noctis's instincts screamed at him to glance over his shoulder, but fear overpowered curiosity. Both of them started running.
Noctis forgot his exhaustion and chased after River with everything he had.
River moved through the forest with sharp, practiced turns, as if he had memorized every tree and root. Noctis struggled to keep up. He had never been in a forest before, and without River's hand signals guiding him, he would have tripped more than once.
As Noctis passed a small boulder, something stirred. The moment his foot stepped into its shadow, inky-black tendrils burst out.
Instinctively, Noctis tried to block them, but then realized—they weren't reaching for him, they were reaching for his shadow.
He panicked and let out an awkward shout.
Driven by pure instinct, he jerked away just in time, his shadow narrowly avoiding the writhing tendrils.
River glanced back for only a second before sprinting ahead again.
"Don't let them touch your shadow! If you see one, stay alert!"
Noctis gathered himself within a heartbeat and ran again, faster this time.
They kept running for several minutes. His lungs burned, his heart pounded like it was trying to tear its way out of his chest.
If his soul hadn't been awakened, he would've collapsed long ago.
River slowed slightly, catching his breath.
When he looked back, he saw Noctis catching up—and behind him, an entire swarm of shadows crawling between the trees.
Their shapes were indistinct, their eyes darker than the void itself. Dozens of them moved like living smoke, swallowing the last traces of crimson sunlight. Some had twisted limbs.
Some had no heads at all.
Some bore two, three, or even more eyes, glowing faintly with a black light that seemed to devour the air.
Others were formless masses, like a rolling fog trying to remember what it once was.
Noctis stared from several dozen meters away, his instincts screaming at him.
He felt it—every single shadow was watching him.
River's expression froze in pure horror.
Noctis's knees trembled, his face paled, his brows furrowed. His mind was terrified, yet deep inside, two strange feelings clashed within him—
a hunger he couldn't explain... and a growing, suffocating hatred.
A few seconds passed before River finally turned back to him, his expression shifting.
He forced a trembling smile, one that carried both courage and fear.
"Well... this is the first time I've ever seen this many shadows. But don't worry—they can't reach us. This is the edge of the safe zone."
Noctis gave him a wary look, his expression unreadable. Both of them kept walking, though the heavy sensation of being watched made his head ache.
He walked without looking back, breathing hard as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon, drowning everything in darkness.
Behind them, one of the shadows began to move.
Noctis felt his thirst gnaw at him again.
His body was exhausted, his mind sluggish and heavy. His pace slowed, though River's calm, pleasant voice guided him forward.
"Almost there, Noctis..."
Noctis stayed silent, conserving what little energy he had left. Minutes passed.
His thoughts drifted back to his own world—his grandfather's gentle smile surfaced in his mind, followed by the image of the moon.
He hadn't seen it in nearly a full day, and he suddenly missed it.
Curious about the moon of this realm, he slowly tilted his head upward—
and his eyes widened instantly.
His steps faltered until he nearly stopped. River noticed the silence and halted as well.
'Those are... bright dots.
Grandpa, you really were a lucky man.'
For a while, he just stared up at the starlit sky.
His night-blue eyes gleamed under the countless stars, and River could see them glowing faintly even from a distance.
Noctis scanned the heavens, and soon noticed what was wrong.
'There's no moon... But there was one in my nightmare. What a strange realm this is.'
The absence of the moon left him oddly hollow. He kept looking upward, then slowly raised his hand. The Moon Seal ring reflected the starlight, its pale glow trembling faintly against his skin.
From within the darkness, a quiet chuckle echoed.
"Your eyes are glowing, Noctis. The stars are beautiful, aren't they?
But we don't have much time. We need to move."
Noctis turned toward the sound of River's voice, then cast one last glance at the sky before walking again.
Minutes later, he was the one to break the silence.
"River... why did those shadows stop chasing us?"
The night was so dark he couldn't see River's face—he couldn't tell what kind of expression he wore.
"An ancient king once blessed the lands around his kingdom with magic,"
River replied softly.
"He's long dead... but his magic still lingers."
Noctis grew curious about the king River had mentioned. He opened his mouth to ask, but that calm, melodic voice echoed through the darkness before he could speak.
"We're here, Noctis."
Noctis frowned. He saw no light—no walls, no shapes, nothing but endless dark. His voice came out uncertain.
"I don't see anything."
A strange feeling stirred inside him. Before he could question it, a soft laugh rippled through the shadows.
"I always forget... Outsiders can't see it yet.
Follow my voice."
Noctis walked toward the sound until he stood beside River. He felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder. Acting on instinct, he grabbed River's wrist and slowly pulled it away.
River's tone grew lively, almost excited.
"Noctis, I need to transfer a bit of essence to you."
Noctis's suspicion deepened. He hesitated, then released River's wrist but stayed on guard.
River placed his hand back on Noctis's shoulder. Within seconds, Noctis felt something flowing into him—a faint, fluid warmth, like light melting through his veins. It didn't trigger any sense of danger.
Then River's breath hitched.
The essence that flowed into Noctis suddenly met resistance—something vast, something hungry. River's hand trembled. The energy he was channeling was devoured almost instantly.
With a sharp gasp, River pulled his hand away and stumbled back. His breathing quickened.
Noctis had instinctively closed his eyes, but inside he felt perfectly fine—if anything, strangely calm.
When he opened his eyes again, he froze.
Before him stood an enormous wall bathed in light. It shimmered with symbols and runes carved deep into its surface, ancient yet pulsing with life. At its base was a towering gate of reinforced wood lined with strips of dark metal, the cracks between them glowing faintly with runic markings.
Noctis's eyes widened in awe.
Under the reflected light, he could finally see the world around him—the gleaming wall stretching into the stars above, an almost divine sight of stone and starlight.
Now that light filled the air, he could finally see River clearly. But when he met his gaze, River's face was tense, his expression unreadable and sharp.
"Noctis," River said quietly, eyes narrowing,
"how are you hiding your aura?"
Noctis blinked, confused by the question. His voice wavered slightly.
"I'm not hiding anything... I haven't even awakened yet."
River raised an eyebrow, studying him with growing curiosity.
"So what was that strange thing inside you? Why did you devour my essence?"
Noctis gave a small shrug, one eyebrow arching.
"I don't know. I couldn't warn you because I didn't understand it myself... And why didn't you tell me you could use magic?"
River also shrugged, a faint laugh escaping his lips.
"I'm not magical either..."
A few seconds of silence passed before River's eyes glinted with a curious look.
"You're an early one, aren't you? That must be why. I'm the same as you... though my soul isn't quite like yours, I too awakened early."
River took a few slow steps forward. Noctis followed, glancing at him suspiciously from the corner of his eye.
'What's this early one thing supposed to mean? And what does he mean by the same as me?'
They approached the magnificent yet intimidating wall. The moment they came close, the massive gates began to open. Several armored soldiers emerged, their weapons glinting sharply under the light.
One of them stepped forward. From beneath the visor of his helmet, his gaze fixed on Noctis—sharp and suspicious, even slightly hostile. In one fluid motion, he pressed a hand to his chest and bowed slightly.
"My prince... You're always out late. And now, with a stranger, no less."
Noctis glanced at River, confused, but avoided eye contact with the intimidating knight. River looked at them both and chuckled softly.
"The stranger you speak of is my guest...
Allow me to introduce Lord Noctis."
The knight lifted his visor, revealing piercing eyes that locked onto Noctis for a tense moment. Then he looked back at River, bowed deeply, and returned his gaze to Noctis.
"Your guest is our guest as well.
Welcome to the Kingdom of the Black Forest, my lord. I am Lucan, the High Knight of the Noble Stag Dynasty. Please, do not hesitate to speak your will..."
Noctis had never experienced anything like this before. He barely understood what they were talking about—kingdoms, dynasties, formalities—all relics of a past long forgotten in his world. His grandfather had once mentioned such things, but only vaguely.
He nodded uncertainly, unsure how to respond, but for the first time in his life, someone was speaking to him with genuine respect. That unfamiliar feeling warmed something deep inside him—a quiet, hesitant joy.
A few minutes later, they passed through the gate and entered the city. Noctis's eyes widened in awe.
Floating orbs of orange and white light drifted lazily through the air. The streets were spotless, lined with small white houses built from smooth stone. The roads were made of firm earth, and though trees were sparse, their placement seemed deliberate.
Banners hung at intervals, each one white with a green stag emblazoned proudly in the center.
Even though it was late, the streets were full of people. Their faces glowed with contentment; laughter drifted through the air.
The soft, innocent voices of children echoed in Noctis's ears like a forgotten melody.
Everyone seemed to live in harmony here—smiling, talking, helping one another.
Noctis couldn't help but curse the place he'd come from. The contrast was unbearable.
What caught his attention most was the enormous metal stag statue at the end of the upward-curving road. It towered over the street, regal and commanding, its polished surface reflecting the soft lights of the city.
Just looking at it filled him with a strange sense of reverence.
The people who passed by gazed upon it with proud smiles.
River noticed Noctis's awestruck expression and chuckled softly.
"You look like you've never seen a kingdom before...
Come on, let's go. I'm starving."
Noctis followed River, who walked alongside Lucan, the knight. For several minutes they traversed the winding streets until they reached the noble estate.
From the outside, it resembled the other houses—white walls, stone paths, calm lights—but its size and craftsmanship made it stand apart.
They passed through several long corridors until they entered a grand hall.
At its center was a small, circular pond, and within it grew an ancient tree—its silver roots reflected in the water like threads of moonlight.
As Noctis looked at the tree, a wave of tranquility washed over him.
He didn't know why, but for the first time in days, he felt peace.
After a few moments, they continued walking through the hallways. They reached a door—wooden yet beautifully carved—and stepped inside. The room was spacious, immaculate, and calm. On one side stood a sturdy desk and a tall cabinet; on the other, a soft bed neatly arranged under the glow of a faint orange lamp.
While Noctis scanned every corner of the room, Lucan's calm, formal voice broke the silence.
"My prince, my lord... Your meal will be brought shortly. Please rest for now.
If you have no further requests, I shall take my leave, my prince."
River shook his head slightly.
The knight bowed and exited, his footsteps fading down the corridor.
River exhaled deeply, his elegant composure returning. Noctis's suspicion toward him hadn't lessened—if anything, it had grown stronger.
"After dinner, I'll show you to your room,"
River said lightly.
"The door across the hall leads to the guest chamber."
Noctis nodded silently.
'Why would the prince's room be right across from the guest's?'
A few minutes later, a soft knock echoed through the room. Servants entered, carrying trays of food. They placed the dishes carefully on the table and bowed before leaving.
Noctis sat down beside River, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. He stared at the plates before him with a cautious expression, unsure whether to be impressed—or suspicious.
He had so rarely seen a full plate of food in front of him that the sight itself felt... wrong.
It looked too clean, too proper—like something meant for someone else.
He didn't want to eat what he didn't recognize, yet the rich, savory aroma pulled at him like a spell.
Across the table, River calmly picked up his knife and fork and began eating with practiced grace. Noctis, meanwhile, examined the food with narrowed eyes.
River noticed his hesitation and gave him an amused glance, but Noctis ignored him completely. He looked down at the piece of meat before him, poked it once with his fork, then hesitantly picked it up with his fingers.
Something about its texture felt strange, almost too tender.
He slowly brought it to his mouth and took a small bite. His eyes widened—the flavor was unlike anything he had ever tasted.
Warm, rich, and disturbingly... perfect.
River chuckled softly.
Noctis said nothing, silently devouring the rest of his meal. Before long, the plate was empty.
"If you're still hungry, there's plenty more, Noctis," River said with a faint smile.
"Beast meat has quite the taste, doesn't it?"
Noctis froze.
His face showed no emotion, but a cold revulsion twisted inside him.
He forced himself not to react, though his stomach lurched.
'Beast meat... That explains the taste.
How can something so monstrous be this good? There aren't even animals here—what was I expecting?'
He shook his head slightly.
"No, I'm full. I just... need some sleep."
River stood and nodded, leading him across the hall. The guest room mirrored River's own—simple but elegant, white walls and clean sheets. River offered him fresh clothes to help him rest, but Noctis refused politely.
He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes.
When River finally left, Noctis lay down on the soft bed. He tried to sleep, but his mind refused to be still.
'For now, everything seems fine...
If I can just figure out how to kill those shadows, I'll be safe. I don't belong in this place.'
A quiet ache stirred in his chest.
He'd never once missed the filthy streets where he grew up, but this... this unfamiliar peace felt wrong in its own way.
Curling up slightly, he closed his eyes.
And for the first time in the new world, he dreamed without darkness.