Leaving, the stronghold, Aiden didn't seen the Pale Requiem again not in the base, nor outside. It was as if he had vanished the moment his purpose had been fulfilled.
As he walked, Aiden rush of adrenaline still coursed through his veins, making everything feel distant, unreal. It was only now, that the memory hit him. His steps slowed down.
The Pale Requiem had killed a Specter. Not just any Specter, but one Aiden had fought beside. One he had helped. Yet, he felt nothing.
'He's human too… so why don't I feel anything?'
He shook his head. I don't have time for this. I need to keep moving. That thought lingered in his mind, gnawing at him. But deep down, he knew the truth. That Specter had looked human, but it wasn't.
It wasn't that it didn't disturb him…it was just that it didn't disturb him enough. It was easier this way. A little too easy.
Pushing the thought aside, Aiden finally reached Kaven Town, only to be met with an unexpected sight.
Hundreds more Specters and Exodites filled the streets. Despite the arrival of night, the town seemed more alive than ever.
Mira and Riven exchanged wary glances.
This… isn't normal. No matter when they came before, the town was always emptying out. Even becoming less, as time went on. Now it's the opposite.
They had an idea why.
"Yay!"
"Thank you!"
A group of Specter Wolves, clad in the signature gear of the Callin Clan, stopped in front of them. Their gazes locked onto Aiden with a mix of relief and admiration.
Aiden, uncertain so he remained silent, unsure of why they were thanking him.
"Finally, someone got rid of David!"
"Yeah," another chimed in. "For years, no one challenged him. No one dared."
Aiden stepped back slightly, his narrowed eyes studying them. Riven folded his arms.
"David's rule has poisoned this place," Riven muttered. "The town's has faltered under his hand. Tyranny has a way of suffocating everything good."
Aiden's brow furrowed. "What happened to them, Riven?"
Inatead of Riven, Mira her fist clenched answered. "David didn't care for them. Not the way they thought he did. He promised them protection, but in the end, they were just another sacrifice to his ambition." She paused. "When the call came to arm against the forces threatening us, David refused. He'd rather keep control of the town and let the rest burn."
Riven, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, shook his head. "It's not just the Callin clan," he interjected softly. "The rest of the town people who relied on David felt the same sting. But he never came to solve any of the conflicts, did he? His absence was a death sentence."
The town, once a place of life and hope, had become little more than a hollow shell under the oppressive rule of David. His iron fist had strangled the very essence of the people, and now, only remnants remained remnants of broken promises and crushed spirits.
As the Specters huddled together, they didn't see as betrayl but for survival and better of there zone survival, because one if it isn't David it will be Master Callin who will cause the destruction.
Aiden exhaled. "Look, I'm no hero. But if you ever need someone to rally behind again, I suppose I'm your guy."
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Mira smiling faintly before vanishing into a emotionless expression.
'This guy… he doesn't even realize the good he says.'
But can he keep it up in the long run?
After receiving numerous gifts and rewards most of which he had to decline due to practicality. Aiden made his way toward the Ugly Wolf restaurant.
As he stepped inside, Finn who was inside, panicking rushed to him immediately.
"Aiden! Are you okay? I saw them take you! I wanted to do something…I tried b-but I was too damn weak! I—"
"Finn!"
Aiden's sharp tone cut through, Finn's rant it even drawn attention, and Aiden wasted no time grabbing him and dragging him aside.
"It's fine," Aiden said, voice firm. "I'm fine."
Finn took a deep breath, his gaze searching Aiden's before asking, "What happened? How are you even alive?"
So he briefly went over it again.
It caused Finn's anger simmered just beneath, the words of the Specters continued to echo in his mind, as qhile he was hear he heard of most about the town. David had offered them protection, but when the time came to act, he had abandoned them.
The truth of the town's slow demise was evident now to everyone who had lived through it. Finn had known, of something similar, but it was different to hear it spoken aloud, confirmed by those who had once been loyal to the tyrant. The weight of it felt suffocating.
Finn clecnhed his fist. "He was too busy carving his legacy to worry about the people beneath him."
Riven stepped forward. "And that's what makes us Exodites, doesn't it? Loyalty means nothing to men like him. You can't trust them. You can't even trust the ground beneath you." He turned to Aiden with a pointed look. "You might be too quick to give your loyalty, Aiden. Trust is earned, not handed out like a gift…somwthing you seem to be giving out easily."
Aiden stiffened, clenching his fist. "I'm learning to Trust so I won't be naïve," he said quietly. "It's about survival. I know, who don't trust, will fall into a pit of paranoia where no one is safe."
Riven scoffed. "It's not paranoia when people have earned your mistrust. The world doesn't reward blind faith, Aiden."
Mira intervened before the argument could escalate. "Enough," she said firmly. "We can argue about loyalty later. The point is, we need to leave this place. David's shadow has poisoned it, and it's no longer safe for us."
Finn nodded in agreement. "This town, the people... they've all been lost. We can't stay here any longer. The town needs to rebuild from the ashes, but not with us in the middle of it."
That night, they ate at the Ugly Wolf restaurant, the warm food a rare comfort after everything they had endured. The town, despite its fractured state, had shown gratitude in the form of a free stay at the inn. For the first time in a long while, they finally got some real rest.
The next day, there all turn toward the outskirts of the town, preparing to leave behind the ruin and the remnants of a broken society, that will need reparing on its own.
As they walked, Finn hesitated, looking over his shoulder. There was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
"I'm not going with you," Finn said suddenly, his face became serious. "Not yet."
Aiden stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. "You don't have to come with us, Finn, but why stay here?"
Finn met Aiden's gaze, his expression shifting from uncertainty to determinetion. "I need to stay and strengthen myself. I've spent too long relying on others. I'll find my own path, one where I don't have to constantly run from my past or my fears." He paused, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "But I won't forget what you've done for me."
Aiden stepped closer, resting a hand on Finn's shoulder. "I see the strength you chase, even when your own body betrays you. If you truly want to cast off your weakness, you will find the strength to do so."
Finn nodded slowly, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. "Thanks, Aiden. I won't forget that."
The two exchanged nods before turning going forward on there own paths. As they moved further from the crumbling streets, a strange calm settled over them.
But as they reached the edge of town, something felt... off.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the air, and Aiden, who had been leading the way, suddenly vanished from view. One moment he was there, the next, he was gone.
Mira froze, her heart racing as she looked around frantically. "Aiden?!"
Riven cursed under his breath, his eyes scanning the area. "Where the hell did he go, now?"
It wasn't until a soft, eerie voice echoed through the air that they realized what had happened.
"Don't be so hasty to leave," the voice whispered, like a breath on the wind. "I only wanted to give him a gift."
Far away, attop a hill Aiden appeared stumbled slightly, disoriented. His first instinct was to reach for his weapon, his mind racing. Was I teleported? Ambushed?
And standing before him, Pale Requiem holding out a small, ornate box. "A token of my appreciation, Aiden. Your assistance was… useful."
Aiden eyed the box warily before taking it, weighing it in his palm. "You don't seem like the kind to hand out gifts. What's the catch?"
Pale Requiem expression remain emotionless. "No catch. Consider it compensation for your efforts… and a sign of goodwill." He paused.
"Though, if I were you, your should cherish you group I'd keep a closer eye on them."
"What do you mean?"
The Pale Requiem didn't answer and Aiden vision went white before he reappeared, next Mira and Riven, she kept looking around and he was just calm.
"Aiden are you okay?"
"let's just leave here now."
Mira frowned, sensing something off, but she didn't push. He had dodged her question, but maybe he had a reason to. And besides, she realized she'd asked too openly.
And so, the town was left behind, its secrets buried in the shadows of a past that would never be forgotten.