First Reply Forest Veil

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's boot sank into the damp earth, each step a heavy, unyielding thud that resonated through the mist-laden air. She'd lost track of time—days, maybe more—but her legs ached, and the straps of her loaded backpack bit into her shoulders, reminding her of the weight she couldn't shed. Around her, the dense jungle sprawled out in an endless maze of twisted trees and overgrown foliage. There was no path here, just an unrelenting wildness that seemed to close in tighter with each passing hour.

Dressed in dark, practical gear, the fabric clung to her skin, damp with sweat and the oppressive humidity. The dense canopy overhead blocked out any hint of sunlight, casting everything in a shadowed haze. She paused, wiping her brow and looking around with a furrowed brow, eyes sharp and alert. Yet, no matter how far she traveled, nothing looked familiar. There were no landmarks, no sounds save for the distant rustle of leaves and an occasional, unnerving silence that hung heavy over everything.

Then it struck her — she had been here before. Just last night, she had camped by that gnarled tree with its unnatural twist. Or… was that two nights ago? She felt a chill crawl up her spine, an unshakable sense of déjà vu settling in. It was as if the jungle itself was trapping her in a loop, leading her in circles and keeping her from escape.

Taking a deep breath, she muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper, "Something isn't right here." Her hand hovered over her lightsaber, the familiar weight reassuring, but the shadows seemed to shift, watching, waiting.

There was no longer any doubt — she wasn't alone.

First Reply​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The offer looked juicy at first when he saw it on his feed. Strange disturbance, potentially caused by a Force User. Most likely Dark Side with how the details went. What he didn't expect upon accepting this job was to be trekking through the woods with little to no sense of direction. There was a faint signal on his freighter's radar, which spurred him on to investigate on foot. But that signal had disappeared... a few hours ago? A day ago? He wasn't sure.

Piece by piece, his armour was tucked into the duffle bag slung across his back until only his body glove remained on his upper body. That also got zipped down and tied around his waist. The Shistavanen brushed his hair back and tugged at his tank top as he surveyed the area. The longer he went on, the more concerned he was becoming. Comms were static, scanners were bugging out, he was isolated... and one particular tree managed to simply elevate his fears.

He had drawn a simple carving into its bark a few hours ago when he made camp. "No karkin' way. Even false north won't do this." He checked his suit's compass again. It had shifted. It stopped displaying accurately a while ago, but now it was shifting. He glanced around as his hackles stood on end. He could feel something was off with this place. His paranoia reached a peak when a faint rustling of terrain drew his attention through the silence.

Yuri ducked behind cover and laid deathly still, carefully looking around to see who the stranger was. His cybernetic hand gripped a pistol, just in case it was the culprit. He had no armour on for the most part... this was a problem. The figure finally emerged into the area, although he couldn't make out much detail on them. From the look of things, it was a humanoid woman, but something felt off about her. She looked... confused, if her posture was anything to go by.

He decided to move along the terrain in a crawl to try and get a better view... until he smacked his head against an overturned stump, causing a rustle against the leaves.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's senses flared the moment she heard the faint rustling of leaves nearby, her hand tightening instinctively around the hilt of her lightsaber. The oppressive silence returned, pressing down like a weight around her, and the shadows stretched ominously in the fog-drenched air. She could feel someone — or something — watching her. Her gaze darted toward the sound, eyes narrowing as she caught sight of a figure partially obscured by the tangled vegetation.

Whoever was out there wasn't immediately clear, but the Force tugged at her, stirring memories and emotions she had worked hard to bury. Shadows of her past seemed to drift through the mist around her, indistinct whispers that made her skin prickle. This familiar feeling... it was as if she could feel Shai's presence haunting in the silence of the woods.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Valery called out softly, her voice laced with an edge of suspicion. "Who's there?" She knew the likelihood of running into someone familiar here was almost impossible, yet her mind replayed that ghostly feeling over and over. With a sweeping look around her, she shifted her stance, ready to respond to any movement, her voice low and tense.

"Show yourself."

Valery's voice rang out clear but tense, cutting through the eerie quiet as she waited, every nerve on edge.

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Between the fog and the terrible lighting, Yuri couldn't make out who was calling to him. But the sound of that voice was eerily familiar. He dismissed the thought, there was simply no possibility that this could be the case. The more he thought about what was going on around him, only one conclusion made sense to him. This was definitely the work of some Force user. He was going to have to amend the details when he got the chance, this kind of work demanded a higher payout.

Still thinking about the best course of action, his hairs stood on end when it felt like something was standing behind him. That concern spiralled into panic when it felt like something akin to a hand brushed against his shoulder. With a yelp of surprise, Yuri spun around and drew his pistol, firing wildly behind him as he scrambled to his feet. The howls of his blaster dissipated along with its golden bolts, allowing the disturbing silence to set in once again.

Now in the open, Yuri turned his attention back to the figure, only to freeze up at the sight of her. "No... no karkin' way." He muttered, keeping his pistol trained on the figure while he drew a second one to look behind him. With his head on a swivel, he shifted his position. "This definitely ain't legit. Who the hell are you? You responsible for all this?" He questioned with a snarl. This had to be some kind of trick to mess with him. What better torment than this? "You better put a stop to this, or I'll fill you with plasma." He threatened the figure posing as his aunt, turning his other pistol to face her as well. "And get rid of that form, you wanna kark with me, at least be original." He continued with a healthy dose of annoyance in his voice.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes narrowed as she watched Yuri stumble out of the fog, his blaster bolts illuminating the thick haze around him for brief, golden flashes. The tension crackled between them like static, and her chest tightened when his panicked gaze settled on her. He didn't recognize her — or perhaps refused to believe it was really her. The way he aimed both pistols at her, challenging her to drop the act, made her heart ache.

"Yuri," she said, her voice low but carrying through the quiet, eerie space around them. She took a single step forward, keeping her hands visible, aware of the barely contained anger and fear in his eyes. "It's me."

The mist clung to her as if the very shadows were trying to pull her back, but she held her ground, her gaze steady and filled with a quiet, solemn resolve. Her amber eyes met his, showing none of the malice he likely expected from whatever apparition he thought her to be. She took in his tense stance, the raw suspicion etched into his expression, and let out a slow breath, trying to cut through the distance between them.

"Lower your weapon, please," she said softly, the warmth of her tone standing out against the chill of the air. "I'm not here to trick you, and I'm not here to fight you."

She extended one hand just slightly, an invitation for peace. "I didn't come here expecting to find you either, but..." Her voice softened further, her expression tinged with a bittersweet mixture of regret and affection. "I'm glad you're safe. That's all I ever wanted for you, Yuri. For you to be okay."

Looking around, Valery frowned, "Not that I believe we're safe here, and I think that's what we should focus on. Getting out of... whatever this place is."

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The figure insisted that she was indeed his aunt. Through a rather pronounced frown, Yuri studied her carefully. The looks, the fiery eyes, the voice, it all checked out. But a closer step or two from her helped him to trust her word. Her scent was right. No matter how deep in his brain a spirit could dig in, he doubted that the Force could trick something as precise as that... at least, that's what he hoped. Her kind words also didn't help to keep his defences up. He would be lying if he said that he didn't miss that warmth.

"It's not that I hate your guts, Auntie... it's this karkin' place. I could swear I felt something touch my shoulder. It feels like something's watchin' us." He finally relented and, with a flourishing twirl, he holstered his two pistols. With a quick glance around them, he carefully began to walk back to where he left his gear. His approach back to her was a lot quicker once he had his bag and kit strapped to his back.

He spared her a glance for a moment as he drew a pistol once more, only this time keeping it to his side. "What're we dealin' with, Auntie? Moment I entered the treeline, my comms went down and my navigation went haywire. Can't even get a compass readin' without it spinnin' like a top. It's lookin' like some Force kriffery at work, that checkin' out for you as well?" He asked her, trying not to focus on the tension between them.

Still, he couldn't outright ignore it. "It's... weird... seein' you a-" He paused with widened eyes staring past her. In a flash he lit up a tree a distance behind her with a hail of blaster bolts. "There was... movement... behind that tree. I could swear I saw something." He reported, slamming a fresh power cell into his pistol. He adjusted his bag and looked to her, hoping that she had a plan more concrete than whatever he could think of.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's gaze softened as Yuri finally lowered his pistols, his words cutting through the tension as he holstered them with a flourish. She felt a pang of bittersweet relief at the familiarity in his tone, even though the chill and strangeness of the mist-bound forest weighed heavily on them both.

"I know, Yuri," she replied, her voice low. "There's something... wrong with this place. I sensed it too the moment I arrived. Whatever Force trickery this is, it's not anything I've seen before." She cast a wary glance around, the tendrils of fog twisting around them, as though alive and watching. "It feels like the mist itself is somehow... aware."

When he mentioned the oddities with his comms and navigation, she nodded. "Same for me. Everything is distorted, as though this place exists somewhere between worlds." The thought unsettled her, and she couldn't help but wonder just what kind of power could warp the landscape in such a way.

But as she turned back to Yuri, her expression softened further. "And I know it's strange, seeing me again. It's-" The faintest sound, like a soft footfall, shifted behind her, and before she could fully process it, Yuri had drawn his pistol and fired a volley of blaster bolts. The shots cut through the fog, illuminating a shadowy figure that melted back into the mist as though it had never been there. Valery whipped around, her own senses sharpening in response, and placed a hand on his arm, grounding both of them.

"I didn't see it but I believe you," Valery said with a frown, "Let's follow it."

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

He slowly lowered his weapon with the touch of her hand. The mention of her being unfamiliar with this kind of power had him slightly more nervous with before. "If you don't know what this is, then we're definitely in trouble." He remarked with a slight chuckle as he watched the treeline. She suggested they follow the strange figure, earning a determined nod from Yuri as he swivelled his duffel bag around. One after the other, he affixed his armour as they moved after the figure's last known location.

He came to a halt by the tree and knelt down to inspect the ground. There was no track, nor any scent or signature to follow. The Shistavanen slid his helmet on and flicked through his vision modes as he stuck to Valery's side. "Thermals are no good. It's like the mist... it's like it's alive. I'm pickin' up a signature, but it's like one massive being around us." He reported, removing his helmet to instead rely on his natural senses.

The deeper they walked, the more Yuri began to pay attention to the mist. It was almost as if it was getting thicker around them. Taking a precaution, he flicked his wrist and caught a small, disc-shaped droid to affix to Valery's belt. "Repulsorcam droid. If we get separated, it'll try to get back to me. I'll be able to track it as well." He informed with a concerned glance at his auntie. The silence was deafening to him, nearly unbearable with how heavy the forest was around them. His gaze lingered on her from the corner of his eye, words stuck in his throat that he was too scared to say.

For months, years, he was fighting to get to this moment. A chance to face her straight up. To show her the destruction he had left in his wake. But now, after Onderon, that destruction only disgusted him. He spared a look at his left hand for a brief second, though his attention was drawn to the mist by their feet. There was no denying it now, the mist was getting thicker. "Auntie." He muttered, gesturing ahead of them. "Mist's thickening. Sun's also lookin' a little dimmer." He warned, sparing a glance behind them. It constantly felt as if something was behind them. A faint rustle off to their flank had him spinning around to bring his guns up, but nothing was there.

He lingered on the area, taking a few careful steps closer. It felt as if something was pulling him there, but he remained planted in his stance. Something akin to a faint whistle rang out to him as the trees felt like they were closing in on him. A deep dread filled him, raising his hackles while his hands began to shiver. The sound around him deafened for the moment, blocking him off from the rest of the world.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery kept close to Yuri as they moved deeper into the forest, her senses alert, feeling the oppressive weight of the mist growing denser around them. The strange living quality of the fog was unnerving, something she'd rarely encountered before. But Yuri's presence, steady and determined beside her, offered a quiet reassurance. Even if the situation was alien and uncertain, at least they were facing it together.

When he placed the small repulsorcam droid on her belt, she offered him a soft, appreciative nod. "Good thinking," she murmured, keeping her voice low. The droid's presence was a subtle comfort — a lifeline, if they were somehow separated in the shifting, seemingly sentient mist.

As they ventured further, Valery's hand brushed instinctively over her hip, feeling the absence of her lightsaber. For a fleeting moment, she wished she had it with her, but she pushed that thought away, forcing herself to rely on her instincts and the Force alone. Her attention returned to Yuri, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the way his hand trembled slightly, the way he seemed lost in thought, perhaps haunted by the darkness they both sensed. She felt a pang of empathy but remained silent, not wanting to break his concentration.

The mist grew thicker still, curling around their legs like silent tendrils, and the light filtering through the treetops seemed to dim further, casting everything into an eerie twilight. When Yuri muttered her name, she followed his gaze ahead, eyes narrowing as she sensed the darkness intensifying, the air colder and heavier with each step.

"Stay close," she whispered, reaching out with the Force to ground them both.

Then, through the thick fog, an outline began to materialize.

At first, it was indistinct, just a shadow against the trees. But as they drew closer, the shape became more defined — the crumbling remains of a house, barely visible through the dense mist. Its structure was old, made of stone and weathered wood, with walls that had begun to buckle under the weight of years. Parts of the roof had collapsed, leaving jagged beams exposed to the dim light filtering through the trees. Vines had crawled up the sides, reclaiming it in a grip of green and brown, and the windows were empty, shattered like hollow eyes staring into the gloom.

Valery's heart pounded as she looked at it, the eeriness of the structure filling her with a deep unease. This house felt out of place, a relic left to decay in the middle of the shadowed forest, as though it had been forgotten by time itself.

And then, just as she thought the silence couldn't grow any heavier, a sound broke it.

A soft, girly giggle from within.

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Valery's voice snapped him out of his trance, spinning him around with a mixture of shock and fear, only she didn't look the same. For a brief moment, she looked like something -or someone- else, but in the blink of an eye she was back to normal. He stared on for a few seconds before following, a simple attempt to make sure that he was simply hallucinating.

With everything going on, that was all he could chalk it up to.

At the moment, however, they had something more troublesome to deal with in the form of an old, decrepit house. An unnerving giggle echoing from within didn't help the Shistavanen's mood at all. Yuri spared a glance at Valery as he contemplated their options. "Hate to say it, but that house might be a decent spot to camp out for the night... ignorin' the giggling." He remarked with a shrug. He carefully started to move closer and stacked up by the old front door, waiting for Valery to follow.

With a steady kick, Yuri breached the building with pistols at the ready, however nothing but neglected furniture and silence met him inside. He remained alert, slowly moving through the rooms while trying to shake the uneasy feeling around him. He holstered his weapons and inspected what remained of the supposed previous occupants... however long ago that was. "Seems clear." He remarked, setting his bag down for the moment. "Is it just me, or does it feel weird around here?" He asked his auntie with a nervous look.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery followed Yuri into the house, her steps cautious, her senses fully extended. The oppressive weight inside was almost tangible, a heavy shroud pressing against her chest. The air was dense with the scent of decay, mingled with the faint, almost sweet smell of something ancient and sinister.

She stopped near a battered wooden table, her hand brushing over its dusty surface. "It feels like the walls themselves are holding their breath," she murmured, her voice barely audible, but each word seemed to echo unnaturally in the confined space.

Her eyes flicked to Yuri, noting his tension. "You're right—something is wrong here," she continued, her tone firm yet gentle. "The air, the silence... it's as though the house remembers, but it won't speak until it's ready."

A subtle pulse of the Force rippled under her skin, drawing her attention toward a broken staircase leading to the upper level. The unsettling giggle replayed in her mind, almost teasing, daring them to dig deeper into the house's secrets. She could feel it — the undercurrent of malevolence, like an invisible hand reaching toward them from the shadows.

Valery exhaled slowly and nodded toward the staircase. "We'll need to search every corner. Stay close, and don't trust what you see." She hesitated for a moment, her expression softening as she looked at Yuri. "And if anything feels too overwhelming, tell me. We're in this together."

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri listened to her remarks on the house and he couldn't agree more. This felt like a horror movie, for all intents and purposes. And all they had to fight this messed up situation was a few guns and her capabilities. The thought drew his attention to her equipment and a curious lack of a lightsaber. "Where's your lightsaber?" He asked her with concern. Normally she would have had it on hand by now, especially with all of this going on.

Whether or not she had it, the Shistavanen spun Peace around and held it out to her by the barrel. "Safety's on." He warned with a mixture of emotions in his eyes. The last time she held one of these pistols was still a very sore subject to him, but they couldn't go in unarmed. Ignoring the supernatural, he knew better than to push a stairwell unarmed. Plus a blaster was sufficient enough to deal with Sith as much as anything else.

"We'll need to search every corner. Stay close, and don't trust what you see."

"And if anything feels too overwhelming, tell me. We're in this together."

"I already don't. I'm still thinkin' you're a figment of my imagination." He remarked with a half-hearted laugh. His eyes lingered on hers for a few seconds. "I'll take point." He finally said, though it wasn't even close to what he really wanted to say to her. He pushed the notion aside and approached the stairwell with his pistol and a vambrace raised. With one careful step after the other, he checked the stairwell's integrity as well as their blind spots. When he finally reached the top floor, an empty hallway greeted him. What made it concerning to him was the dimensions. Either he was going crazy, or the hallway felt longer than the size of the house could allow.

Adding to the already unnerving tone were the vines and debris snaking around the place... except for one room. A faint light shimmered from underneath the pristine, clean door. It looked completely out of place in the already illogical hallway. Yuri came to a halt and turned his head slightly, not taking his eyes off the door. "Just, uh... to confirm. Do you also see a creepily long hallway with a freaky door?" He asked his auntie.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing as Yuri described the scene before him—a long hallway stretching impossibly far, vines crawling like serpents, and that pristine, glowing door at the end. But when she looked, all she saw was what should have been there: a normal, albeit decrepit hallway, shrouded in shadow and decay.

"I don't see it, Yuri," she said quietly, her voice carefully measured. Her hand brushed lightly over the wall, the cracked surface cold beneath her fingertips. "This house... it's warping your senses." She stepped closer to him, her presence steady and grounding. "The dark energy here... it's playing tricks."

Or was it playing tricks on her?

But even as she tried to dismiss his vision as an illusion, an unsettling chill coiled around her spine. The air seemed heavier now, colder, and a faint whisper — a sound just at the edge of hearing — teased her senses. It wasn't coming from the hallway she saw, but it seemed to align with whatever Yuri was perceiving.

"Tell me exactly what you're seeing," she pressed gently, her voice firm but calm. Her amber eyes flicked between Yuri and the corridor, trying to reconcile his reality with her own. She wasn't going to let him face this alone, not when the house itself was clearly alive with malevolent intent.

A low creak echoed from somewhere deeper within, followed by a soft, almost childlike giggle. Valery's grip on her lightsaber tightened, though she still hadn't ignited it. The darkness here was ancient, patient, and hungry.

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

His biggest concern turned out to be true, she couldn't see the hallway. She stepped closer and urged him to tell her what he saw. He spared a brief glance at her, but when he looked back at the hallway, it was gone. Instead, he stared at what he suspected was the original hall of the building. "It's gone." He muttered. "The hallway, it's... normal now." He shook his head and looked at her. "It was... like this, but... way longer. There was also a door, it looked brand new with light shining behind it." He looked back at the hallway and pointed to the furthest door to them. "That one. That door right there, just... different." He explained to her.

Fear was gripping his heart, now more than ever. The constant feeling of someone behind him didn't waver, except there was nobody but his aunt. And for another brief second, she did not look the same. Sickly yellow eyes, pale skin and blackened veins snaked along her neck, chest and arms. A sickening grin met his gaze, only to all disappear with the next blink of his eyes. Was she really who she claimed she was? Or was this just another trick of the mind?

What his aunt would likely be able to notice, however, was a sickly red setting in along the whites of his eyes, and gums partially turning a darker shade of purple. His heart pounded in his ears as he took a subtle step away from her. He no longer knew if he could trust her, but the door kept drawing his attention. Once more a faint glow shone from underneath the neglected door.

"You gonna let this slide?"

He lightly flicked his ears and shook his head as he took a step closer to the door. "We gonna split up or breach together?" He asked her with a low voice, for some reason he was nervous about her answer. His hackles felt like they were permanently upright as he gripped his pistol with a shaky hand.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Image link (commission)
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes remained locked on Yuri, her gaze sharp and unwavering as he recounted his vision. When he mentioned the hallway returning to normal, her expression shifted subtly, concern deepening. She could see the fear in his eyes — no, more than fear. There was something darker creeping into him, something that seemed to claw at his very being.

Her amber gaze caught the unsettling discoloration in his eyes and the purple tinge spreading across his gums. The dark energy within the house was affecting him more profoundly than she had anticipated. It was like the place was reaching into him, trying to corrupt him from the inside out.

"Yuri," Valery said softly, her tone a careful blend of firmness and warmth. "You're not imagining this. Whatever you saw, this house wants you to see it for a reason." She stepped closer, her hand hovering just over his arm, offering comfort without forcing it. "But it's also trying to get into your head. Into your body."

Her senses flared as she glanced toward the door he indicated, the faint glow beneath it pulsing like a heartbeat. Her lips pressed into a thin line. The air around them felt charged, as if the house itself was watching, waiting for their next move.

"We don't split up," she said decisively, her hand finally settling lightly on his shoulder to ground him. "Whatever's behind that door, we face it together."

She gave him a small, encouraging nod. "On three, we breach together." Valery took a deep breath, steadying her own nerves against the oppressive energy surrounding them.

"One..." Her grip on her saber tightened.
"Two..." The glow beneath the door seemed to intensify, a faint hum vibrating in the Force.

"Three."

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The more she spoke, the more he found himself becoming riled up towards her. Was he... getting irritated with her? He didn't understand where this new boiling in his gut was coming from, only a moment ago was he grateful to have her close like this. It didn't make sense to him. She was likely onto something. He tried to shove the growing feeling down until she placed a hand on his shoulder.

An echo of a snarl rumbled in his throat as he shrugged off her hand. He caught himself and took a deep, shaky breath to steady himself. Something wasn't right with him. She at least had the Force to combat the area's effect on herself, he had nothing of the sort. A lesson he was taught at a very young age during his training. Protect his mind as best he could, Forcies loved to go for it. But no amount of mental struggling seemed to fight this influence off from him.

"She's playin' you, mutt. Get your head in the game."

He spared her an apologetic glance, too afraid or ashamed to say anything to her as he got ready to breech the door. Once more he took point with his weapon at the ready. Hopefully whatever was causing this was behind this door, so the nightmare could be brought to an end.

"One..."
"Two..."
"Three."

The moment the world left her mouth, Yuri shifted and delivered a powerful kick to send the door flying open. He wasted no time to charge into the room... only, there was nothing. Once he crossed the threshold of the room, it was as if he had entered a different world. It was pitch black around him, save for a faint light in the distance akin to a sun shining on a planet from far away.

There was nothing. No Valery, no house, no creepy room. Just him in this seemingly infinite void. "Auntie?!" He called out, but his voice simply kept travelling into the distance. "Auntie? Anyone?!" There was nothing. The sheer silence had his tinnitus ringing loudly in his ears from years of mercenary work, smuggling and loud engines in his life. He looked forward, towards the light as a feeling of urgency gripped his soul. He needed to move forward. Never stop, simply keep moving forward.

One careful step after the other, the Shistavanen headed forward towards the distant light. Unless he was crazy, he could see something in the distance...

Valery Noble