Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

A gentle silence settled over the intersection once more after Sylveris’ declaration...

Unlike the previous oppressive one that had haunted the crypt, this one was calm and almost comforting. The suffocating tension that had clung to their hearts since entering the ancient ruin slowly dissolved, replaced by the quiet relief of simply being alive.

Their bodies still ached from countless bruises, their clothes were stained with blood and dust, and every Soul Essence bore the scars of the desperate battle they had endured. Yet despite their miserable appearances, faint smiles gradually found their way onto every face...

For a few precious moments, no one felt the need to speak. Instead, they simply savored the rare peace that came with being alive..

Eventually, Sylveris’ curious gaze wandered away from the group and settled on the only tunnel they had yet to explore.

She absentmindedly rubbed one of the ivory fangs resting in her hand before tilting her head thoughtfully.

”So...” She began hesitantly, ”Are we also going to explore the third tunnel too?”

Her voice echoed softly through the ancient intersection and almost immediately...

”NO!”

Veyrath’s reply exploded through the tunnel with such speed and volume that everyone instinctively flinched.

The failed Alchemist looked as though Sylveris had just suggested sacrificing him to an ancient deity.

”Absolutely not!” He continued before anyone else had the chance to answer. ”I’ve had enough mysterious tunnels, enough ancient coffins, enough murderous statues, and definitely enough life-threatening surprises to last me several lifetimes.”

Then he jabbed a finger toward the unexplored passage and continued.

”As far as I’m concerned, whatever is hiding inside that tunnel can stay there until the end of time. There isn’t a chance in Aetherium that I’m following anyone inside.”

”And who said I wanted to go?” Vaelorin suddenly chimed in from where he sat on the stone floor.

The red-haired Pyromancer shook his head firmly.

”I know we’ve survived everything together so far, but if anyone decides to investigate another ancient ruin today, you’ll have to excuse me.”

He gestured toward the tunnel with the end of his staff.

”After everything we’ve just experienced, I’d rather fight a pack of wild wolves than walk into another place whose builders clearly hated visitors.”

A few chuckles escaped the group at his words. But it seems like Sylveris didn’t find it funny.

The fourteen-years-old puffed out her cheeks before pointing out. ”But what if this tunnel is different...?”

Everyone turned toward her...

”I mean, what if the first two were the only dangerous ones, and this is the one hiding all the treasures?” she argued.

”We’ve only explored two paths. So isn’t it possible that the last one might be the safest? Besides...” She smiled sheepishly. ”People always say the third time’s the charm.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Vaelorin visibly stiffened. His expression became one of utter disbelief as he asked with widened eyes.

”Why do you keep talking about treasures?”

He stared at her as though she had uttered the most cursed sentence imaginable.

”Do you know what happened the last time you started talking about treasure?”

Without waiting for an answer, he pointed accusingly at Valmyr.

”He was literally convinced him that there might be some treasures inside the crypt and you know what happened next, didn’t you?”

”This genius walked straight into an ancient Array, which awakened an army of Terracottas, released a six-winged nightmare, and nearly got every single one of us killed...”

”Hey!” Valmyr immediately protested. ”For the third time, stepping into that Array was an accident.”

The failed Vanguard scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he defended his dignity. ”It wasn’t entirely my fault. And besides, why are you bringing that up now? We survived, didn’t we?”

”Exactly,” Veyrath suddenly replied. ”We survived...”

He emphasized the word so heavily it almost sounded sacred.

”But do you also remember what you said before opening the third coffin? You proudly declared that the third time’s the charm. And looked at what happened?”

Veyrath folded his arms as he spoke further. ”Instead of a charm, we got an ancient guardian that almost flattened us into paste. So when I hear someone else saying ’the third time’s the charm,’ you’ll forgive me if my survival instincts start screaming.”

This time, even Sylveris couldn’t help lowering her head sheepishly before muttering. ” I guess you have a fair point.”

Caelestra watched the exchange before a quiet laugh escaped her lips. Her eyes twinkled teasingly as she remarked.

”You know, I think all three of you are simply traumatized...”

”Traumatized?” Veyrath asked, looking genuinely offended.

”Absolutely not! I’m merely being realistic and there is a very significant difference between the two.”

”Oh?” Caelestra raised an eyebrow. ”And what exactly is that difference?”

”The difference...” Veyrath declared confidently,. ”... Is that traumatized people are irrational.”

Then he proudly placed a hand on his chest. ”But I’m perfectly rational and equally terrified for my life.”

Hearing his shameless words, the entire intersection immediately erupted into a boisterous laughter...

Eventually, Kaeloris adjusted his cracked spectacles before speaking in his usual thoughtful tone.

”Objectively speaking, Veyrath isn’t entirely mistaken. You see, the crypt itself has already demonstrated that structures dating back to ancient eras possess dangers far beyond our current capabilities.”

He glanced toward the unexplored passage before continuing solemnly.

”If this third tunnel leads to another ruin of comparable scale, then entering it in our present condition would be the equivalent of volunteering for execution. Besides, I would still recommend approaching it with extreme caution even after we fully recover and want to check it out.”

It was at this point that Regaleon finally spoke. The silver-haired Knight nodded his head before commenting with a serious expression.

”I share Kaeloris’ opinion. We’ve already pushed our luck far enough today; our Soul Essences are damaged, our Aether reserves are nearly exhausted and every single one of us is carrying injuries that should have us resting instead of fighting...”

His golden eyes swept across the group as he addressed them.

”Actually, we’ve accomplished more than enough for one expedition. Therefore, I would suggest that we head back to the Cave and then try to recover from our injuries. Most importantly, I think that we still need to go over everything we’ve discovered today. Only after we’ve done all these and organize ourselves should we sit down and discuss what our next move would be.” He concluded.

Sylveris looked toward the final tunnel one last time before smiling helplessly.

”I suppose you’re right. Besides, I was only curious about what the tunnel was all about, that’s all.”

”There isn’t anything wrong with curiosity...” Kaeloris said with a small smile.

”So long as one survives long enough to satisfy it. Also, our curiosity isn’t going anywhere and neither is the tunnel. It has remained here for countless years, it can wait a little longer.”

Sylveris nodded. ”I guess it can.”

With the decision finally made, the group slowly gathered themselves...

Without another word, the eight exiles cast one final glance toward the mysterious third tunnel; then, began making their way through the middle passage, leaving behind the silent intersection as they journeyed back toward the waterfall and the safety of the Cave that had become their temporary home...