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"So, what made you enter this crazy trial anyway?" he asks, angling his body toward mine.
I keep my reply vague, sensing he's more interested in an excuse to flirt than my motivations. "Oh, the usual reasons. Glory, the thrill of adventure, proving my abilities."
He nods with exaggerated interest. "Well, you've proven yourself quite capable up here," he says, eyes roaming my figure appreciatively.
I give a noncommittal hum, leaning away subtly as I take another bite. Silence falls, yet the space between us feels charged. The flames crackle, casting a warm glow over our makeshift camp. Above us, an astonishing sight meets our eyes as curved bands of light dance across the night sky.
Shimmering waves of emerald and sapphire undulate overhead, blending with the glittering stars. The colors brighten and dim hypnotically, like the heartbeat of the mountain itself.
"The locals call them skylights," Renxel comments as we gaze upward in awe. "Some say they're messages from the mountain spirits."
I watch the ethereal lights pulse and ripple, utterly transfixed by their mystical beauty. What an incredible planet we're on, full of such wonders.
As we continue our modest dinner, the dazzling lights keep us company. Their splendor dwarfs our meager camp, reminding us how small we are compared to the grandeur of these ancient peaks.
In their presence, the distance between Renxel and me feels less strained. We are simply two souls united in our appreciation of this sublime sight. For now, the race and our conflicts fade into insignificance beneath the glory of the glowing sky.
For a moment, he drops the act, and I see him for how he really is. Under those seven shades of smug asshole, he’s actually not that bad.
"We should get some rest," I announce evenly, avoiding his eyes. Without another word, I slip into the shelter of my tent,my feelings a tangled mess. I can’t help but still wish it was Rylan here keeping me company and witnessing the magic of the skylights with me.
19
RYLAN
The frigid winds bite through my garments as I traverse the rocky terrain. The end of the trial remains distant but tantalizingly closer with each weary step. In the valley below, an otherworldly glow beckons. I've reached the outskirts of the Cradle of the Gods, a realm of strange mists and otherworldly beauty that is sacred to so many.
From this vantage, the Cradle appears almost celestial, bordering the land of mortals and the domain of spirits. Strands of luminous vapor rise from cracks in the ground, as if the mountain exhales enchanted breaths.
Still, with the obscene beauty of it all, I find it hard to push Iara out of my mind. She’s probably with Renxel right now. The very notion rattles me, though I try to bury my sentiments as I have for so long. But denial proves futile now when faced with the possibility of her being in his arms.
She deserves someone uncomplicated who can give her the affection she craves. I would only let her down if I tried to tether her to my life of selfish pursuits and asked her to follow. Yet, imagining her with another ignites a jealous fury I can't reason away.
It’s my fault she’s gone.
In my foolishness, I failed to recognize her importance before it was too late.
But the time for self-pity has passed. I must keep striving upward, just as Iara surely does. I pick up my pace, moving faster and faster in a futile attempt to outpace my thoughts.
I'm still some miles from that mystic place, but its allure quickens my pace. Above it, the summit stands haloed under the swollen moon, a jewel I can almost grasp. Just a few more days and I get to put this all behind me.
At the end of the winding switchback, I come across a form slouched over the Obsidian River. Even after I walk up to him, discovering it’s Maxe, still he says nothing. He barely even registers me speaking to him. He’s so distant and lost, staring idly down the river.
“She told me I had to go on without her,” he finally says, his voice a husk of a whisper. “She fell and hurt her ankle. She insists she’s just going to rest it for a bit and keep going, but she told me not to wait. It’s killing me, you know that?”
“I’m sorry.”
“What does it all mean? Why would I make her a promise that I hate to keep? Am I wrong, doing what she asks? What if something happens to her and I’m not there to help? But would it be just as wrong to make her do this my way?”
“You’re asking the wrong guy.”
He nods slowly.
“We made a pact before we started the Challenge. I mean, this is exactly what I agreed to do. I just never thought it would happen. She told me to leave her behind, that I had work to do. But I’m lost. I’m lost without her, and I admit it. I half want to turn around right now, take it all back, and make her let me carry her to the end of the trail, you know? But that isn’t what I promised.”
“It’s not your fault for wanting to help. It’s understandable. But maybe she’s right. Maybe she wants to be able to prove to herself she could face it. Not have you facing it for her. And she has her comm if she needs to call for help, right?”
I clap him on the back. He stares so far away and pulls out his pipe. He struggles to light it against the wind, and I eventually do it for him. His hands are shaking so badly. Before me stands a broken man. Half the man I met on the ridge.
