Chapter 1045: Fourth Site
The fourth crystal site was located far from civilisation, buried deep within the wastelands of the far east. News regarding this place was scarce, and the few rumours that did exist were usually spoken in hushed voices by travellers who had only seen its outskirts from afar.
Most people who arrived here never stayed for long.
The atmosphere alone was enough to drive them away.
The air felt unnaturally heavy with every breath, as though the wasteland itself was pressing down on their lungs. Death lingered in the environment like a curse. There was no flowing water, barely any vegetation, and almost no signs of life beyond the occasional scavenger beast wandering through the desert.
Then there was the issue of the Eclipse.
The eastern wastelands were one of their more active territories, and the group had already crossed paths with several patrols during their journey here. Thankfully, they managed to avoid a direct confrontation for now. But none of them were naïve enough to believe that this luck would persist.
Sooner or later, they would be forced to fight against the cultists.
If it was simply the rumour of the site being here, the group would’ve left it alone.
But there was one reason for their presence in the east.
The fact that Feris’s necklace was reacting.
When they were searching for information in the east, they happened to pass through the wastelands that stretched across the majority of the region. It was here that the crystal around Feris’s neck began to react.
The fragment released a subtle pulse of light, almost akin to a slow heartbeat.
Weak at first, but the deeper they travelled, the stronger it became.
"How is it?" Noah asked, letting out a sigh of relief as another Eclipse patrol passed them without a fight breaking out.
Feris tightened her fingers around the fragment hanging from her neck.
"It’s... stronger. It’s still slow, but each beat feels more powerful now," she mumbled.
Rika knelt next to Feris, her eyes lingering on the fragment. Just as Feris described, it was pulsing like a heart.
Not only that, but there also seemed to be a strange source of energy hidden within the centre of the crystal.
Perhaps it was the very thing that caused Feris to lash out during their escape, along with the reports of others tapping into new forms of energy.
More importantly, ever since the crystal started reacting, Feris had felt better than ever. Energised and ready to take on the world.
Holding the crystal up into the air, Feris closed her eyes for a long moment. The others stayed silent, allowing her to focus.
After all...
With the crystal now reacting, Feris had become their compass.
"It’s stronger towards the right," she finally said as Noah nodded.
"Alright, let’s head towards... the north." He checked the map. Their right would lead them towards the northern side of Sikha. A little closer to the Eclipse than he preferred, but as long as they remained careful, they should be able to scout the situation out.
Plus, they had bought plenty of equipment for emergencies since they were moving as a small group rather than a large one.
As they adjusted their course and began heading north through the wastelands, Feris noticed something strange.
The first sign appeared roughly two hours into their journey.
She lifted her gaze towards the sky and slowly raised her hand. It felt as though she was trying to grasp something that wasn’t there, and Noah recognised the motion immediately.
It was the same thing she used to do whenever she reached for the stars before the crystal appeared.
"Feris?" he asked, somewhat concerned by her reaction.
"The sky..." she mumbled, her eyes shimmering with awe.
Through her eyes, she could see motes of light flickering throughout the air around them. Stars that shimmered in and out of existence. Blinking and ephemeral.
Sometimes they would reappear.
Sometimes they were gone forever.
Feris tried to touch one, but they remained just out of reach. No matter how far she stretched her hand, she couldn’t grasp them.
The same suffocating feeling she experienced whenever she stared at the sky returned once more. Seeing her heart’s desire, yet never being able to obtain it.
In fact, she wanted to reach them so badly that she nearly slipped from Noah’s back, forcing him to quickly adjust his grip so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
Noah called out to Feris again, but her mind was focused elsewhere.
Countless distortions rippled across the sky as she noticed a crack forming overhead.
A pathway to a different world.
There, she saw the Void.
An endless sea of stars, crystal pillars, and floating islands. A sense of wonder unlike anything else. She could feel her heart slamming against her chest.
She wanted to reach that paradise.
She wanted to cross the rift.
She wanted it desperately.
But like all her previous attempts, the moment she came close to the opening, it faded away into nothingness.
There she stood, shoulders slumped as her head tilted back.
She stared at the sky, but the smile that had once been on her face could no longer be seen.
A sense of emptiness spread through her heart as Noah approached hesitantly.
He couldn’t see what had happened, but he could make assumptions. Feris must’ve briefly seen the other side of the Void.
Then, with a bitter smile, Feris looked back at Noah.
"Seems like it’s still out of reach," she mumbled in disappointment.
Noah paused for a moment before reaching out and pulling her into a hug.
Feris widened her eyes in surprise before slowly immersing herself in the warmth of the embrace. Resting her head against his chest, she listened to the steady beating of his heart.
"It’s okay. We’ll find a way," he reassured softly.
The fourth site was close. If Feris was already reacting like this now... what would happen once they finally arrived?
"Mnm..." Feris nodded.
Though strangely, the fascination and obsession that had gripped her heart faded quickly after Noah hugged her.
The maniacal infatuation disappeared as though it had never been there to begin with.
Reaching down to hold his hand, Feris brought it up to her face and rested her cheek in his palm.
Her fingers traced the callouses, the size of his fingers, the rough skin. A hand much bigger than hers.
Noah, in his confusion, could only stand there in silence while embarrassment spread through his chest. Though... he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed this situation.
Only...
He wished it wasn’t happening in front of the other party members.
Rika had a smirk on her lips, and so did Tobi and Yama.
"What are you staring at?" Noah finally snapped as the three shrugged simultaneously, almost as though they had rehearsed it beforehand.
After a moment of silence, Feris finally let go of Noah’s palm.
His fingers instinctively reached out towards her cheek, but the distance quickly widened, leaving behind a lingering warmth and sense of regret in his palm.
A sense of longing.
"Sorry, I’m feeling better now." Feris smiled, taking a few steps back as a brighter expression appeared on her face.
"Are you sure? We can stay and rest a little longer if you need to," Noah offered, but Feris shook her head.
"I can feel it. We’re getting closer now. I think... the site should only be another hour away." She closed her eyes.
After the brief encounter with the portal, it felt as though her mind had finally awakened completely.
For years, she had lived feeling sluggish and lethargic.
But now?
The entire world felt clearer to her.
She could hear better than ever.
Breathe better than ever.
She could feel the wind brushing against her skin and the tingling energy lingering in the air.
Wrapping her fingers around the fragment hanging from her neck, Feris’s eyes shifted ever so slightly as they glowed with a dim purple light.
Something only Noah noticed.
Though the glow only lasted for a brief moment before her eyes returned to normal.
With a grin, she reached out, grabbed Noah by the wrist, and dragged him forward.
"Let’s go. No more delaying," she laughed, her cheerfulness and excitement surprising the others.
Not wanting to be left behind, Rika quickly ran after the two while Yama and Tobi smiled helplessly before following behind them.
Noah ran beside Feris, his eyes focused on her smile.
While part of him felt relieved seeing her like this, another part of him felt... lonely.
The closer they got to the crystal sites, the more it felt like Feris would eventually leave him behind.
She would become something beyond him. Reach a realm he could never follow.
And though it might’ve been selfish, part of him wanted her to remain by his side forever.
But that felt cruel.
To force her to deny her heart for a second time...
He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
So Noah swallowed the words trapped in his throat and suppressed the emotions swelling within his chest.
As long as she was happy, he could accept it.
And seeing her smile now was worth far more than the days she spent staring blankly out of windows.
A woman stood before a tall window with her arms folded, gazing out towards the garden below.
A glass of wine rested loosely in her hand. One eye remained closed while the other stayed open.
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. Clearly, what she was observing wasn’t what she had expected.
"Is the girl just like me? I figured she was merely a candidate, but..." She swirled the wine slowly. "She might be more than that if she’s this sensitive to the changes."
Ever since sending Noah and the others out on this journey, Ciel had been monitoring their every move.
And now, her attention was fully focused on Feris...
