As Vani recognized that it was Sylas and Varik speaking, he began to wonder why they were meeting in secret at such a late hour. His heart raced with questions as he crouched in the shadows, barely breathing.
What are they doing so late at night? Why meet here, in the woods? Are they spies? Assassins? If they are, that means they could be plotting against Elsera...
His thoughts swirled in confusion, but just as he was about to move, Sylas's voice broke the silence.
"What do you think?" Sylas asked, his voice low.
Varik's response was filled with uncertainty. "I don't think it's possible to make a move…"
Sylas's tone mirrored Varik's, filled with worry. "Yes, I don't think it's possible either. Leaving Elsera aside… we might have had a chance with her. They don't know you're an Idem yet, but Darius…" He trailed off, his voice heavy with concern. "Darius is the real problem. He's too strong for us to handle, not even the two of us together. And we don't even know his full power. He might be hiding something."
Varik's voice was filled with a bitter honesty. "When I first received the mission details, I thought the rumors about Darius, the 'Crimson Executioner,' were false. But after seeing him over the last five months... I'm sure now. Those rumors? They're true."
Sylas nodded grimly. "Do you mean the rumors about him slaughtering a whole village? They say everything turned red under the full moon, and that it even rained blood..."
Varik's gaze darkened as he continued. "Yes. The mission letter I received included a part specifically about Darius. After he killed everyone in that village, he didn't run. He just waited for them to arrest him. They were going to execute him, but Elsera's father used his connections to make him a Scion. That's how Darius ended up with her—he had no choice."
Sylas sighed, the weight of the situation settling on him. "That's right... So, what do I do now? My mission was to meet with you, and together we were supposed to take Elsera down. But how do we do that? It seems impossible now."
Varik ran a hand through his hair, frustration written all over his face. "I think for now, we just keep watching. If an opportunity presents itself, we'll take it. And if things get worse... we'll either run or frame someone else."
Sylas's brows furrowed. "Frame someone else? Like who?"
Varik smirked, his eyes gleaming with a sinister thought. "What do you think about the newcomer? The one they found in the forest... Vani?"
Vani froze.
Me?
Sylas shook his head. "I don't think that's possible. He's just a Novarion. Sure, he defended against Rowan's attack, but he couldn't kill an Idem. Framing him would be too difficult."
Varik nodded slowly, as if weighing the options in his mind. "Yeah, you're right. For now, let's just keep watching. Maybe we'll get an opportunity when we arrive at Blackmere."
Sylas sighed, clearly frustrated. "Alright, we'll do that."
Vani stayed still, his mind racing with the implications of their conversation. He had overheard their plot. Sylas and Varik were truly assassins, sent to kill Elsera. The realization hit him like a weight to his chest. He had been caught in the crossfire, but the threat was greater than he'd imagined.
He began to move slowly, making sure to keep his distance. He didn't want to be noticed, not after learning this dangerous truth. His mind buzzed with the knowledge that he was now involved in something much darker than he had ever anticipated. But as he tried to step away from the scene, a heavy thought clung to him: Varik was an Idem, and Darius—the Crimson Executioner—was more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
What should I do? Should I tell Darius? Should I act like I didn't hear anything? No, they're already thinking about framing me...
The uncertainty gnawed at him as he walked away from the forest, his thoughts swirling in confusion. The closer he got to the camp, the heavier his heart felt. He couldn't decide whether to reveal what he had learned or to stay silent. And there was something else, something darker and deeper, that troubled him. It had been growing for days, a feeling that wouldn't go away.
He felt... empty. More empty than before.
Why? Why am I feeling like this? What should I do?
The cold air felt like ice against his skin as he stumbled through the snow, his legs shaky. He sank to his knees, hands gripping the cold earth as he struggled to breathe through the crushing weight of his thoughts. His mind was a storm, swirling with fear, confusion, and a sense of hopelessness that seemed to be growing by the second.
Why? Why do I feel like this? What do I have to do to make it stop? Should I just die? Would that make everything go away?
His hands shook violently as he reached for the dagger at his waist, the cold steel comforting in his palm. He held it up to his stomach, staring at the sharp edge. His breath hitched as tears blurred his vision, and for a moment, he felt as though everything around him was closing in.
His fingers trembled around the hilt, his teeth clenched as sobs threatened to break free. Tears spilled down his cheeks, mixing with the snow beneath him.
I miss you, Mother. Why did you have to leave me alone? Why did it have to be like this...
But in the end, he couldn't do it. The dagger felt too heavy in his hands, and the thought of ending it all only made him feel more lost. He let the dagger slip from his grip, the blade sinking into the snow with a soft thud.
He leaned forward, his face in the cold earth, unable to make a decision. The weight of everything—the betrayal, the confusion, the darkness inside him—was too much to bear.
After what felt like an eternity for him, Vani finally stood up, wiping the tears from his face. His limbs felt heavy, his head spinning, but he forced himself to move. Slowly, he began walking back toward the camp, unsure of what to do, but knowing that he had to keep moving. The night was still dark, but his path was uncertain, and the storm in his heart was far from over.