Riku turned to Levi, his black eyes, as always, reflecting nothing of his inner turmoil, yet somehow conveying an unwavering resolve. "No, Levi. You are not coming."
Levi scoffed, his usual stoic demeanor cracking with a hint of disbelief. "The hell I'm not. You think I'm going to sit here twiddling my thumbs while you wander off to some ancient ruin for some unknown reason? Especially after you just admitted it could be dangerous?"
"Someone strong needs to remain here," Riku stated firmly, his gaze unwavering, locking onto Levi's sharp grey eyes. "The village is still vulnerable. Your combat prowess, your experience… it's invaluable here. If any threat emerges while I'm gone, you are the best chance they have."
"And you think you can handle whatever's out there on your own?" Levi retorted, his voice rising slightly in frustration. "You, who willingly carved chunks out of yourself just a few days ago? Don't be an idiot, Dola. Two sets of eyes, two sets of blades are always better than one."
"Igris will be with me," Riku countered, the name a silent weight in the air. "And my reasons for going… they are personal. This is something I need to do alone." He deliberately kept his tone final, hoping to dissuade further argument.
Levi's jaw tightened. He recognized that tone, the quiet inflexibility that hinted at a deeper, unspoken purpose. He crossed his arms, his frustration evident. "Personal? What could possibly be so personal that it outweighs the safety of the village, or your own damn neck?"
"It does," Riku insisted, his gaze never wavering. "My decision is final, Levi. Your duty, your strength, are needed here." He held Levi's gaze, the unnerving emptiness in his own a silent command.
A tense silence hung between them, the air thick with unspoken arguments and simmering frustration. Levi, despite his protests, understood the logic in Riku's words. The village was still vulnerable, and his abilities were undeniably their greatest asset in a direct confrontation. With a frustrated sigh, he finally relented.
"Tch. Fine," Levi grumbled, turning away. "But if you don't come back in one piece, Dola, I'm going to resurrect you myself just so I can kick your ass for being so reckless."
Riku offered a small, almost imperceptible nod. He knew Levi's gruff exterior hid a genuine concern. He then turned to Erina, whose initial protest had been silenced by the intensity of the exchange between the two men. Her purple-pink eyes held a mixture of worry and understanding.
"Erina," Riku said softly, "look after the village while I'm gone. Your insights and… organizational skills have already proven invaluable. Continue your work on the power distribution. Make sure everything runs smoothly."
Erina nodded, her expression serious. "Be careful, Riku. Please come back safely." A subtle warmth tinged her tone, a silent expression of her growing concern for him.
With a final glance at the two figures he was leaving behind, Riku stepped out of the village under the cloak of the early morning mist. Igris's silent, crimson form materialized beside him, and together, they melted into the surrounding forest, their destination the ancient elven base, and the reunion with a ghost from Riku's past. The weight of anticipation and the potential dangers of his solo journey hung heavy in the air.
The journey to the old elven base was swift and silent, Igris moving with an ethereal grace through the dense forest, his senses constantly scanning for any signs of danger. Riku walked beside him, his mind a whirlwind of anticipation and apprehension. He clutched a small, intricately carved wooden bird in his hand, a memento from his past life, a tangible link to the girl he hoped to see again.
The landscape gradually shifted as they ventured deeper, the familiar trees giving way to ancient, moss-covered ruins, remnants of a long-vanished civilization. The air grew heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, a sense of forgotten grandeur clinging to the crumbling stones.
Finally, they reached the familiar clearing, the overgrown archway of the elven base looming before them like the skeletal remains of a forgotten giant. A sense of déjà vu washed over Riku, the memory of his first encounter with Shuvi as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
He stepped through the archway, his heart pounding in his chest, Igris's silent form shadowing him. The interior of the base was as he remembered – a cavernous space filled with the hushed whispers of the wind and the soft glow of bioluminescent moss clinging to the walls.
Riku waited. The first day bled into night, the soft glow of the bioluminescent moss casting an ethereal light on the empty alcove. He remained there, perched on a crumbling stone, the carved wooden bird clutched in his hand, a silent vigil for a ghost of the past. Hope, initially a bright flame, began to flicker with the passing hours.
The second day dawned, painting the ruins in hues of pale grey and dusty rose. Still, Shuvi did not appear. The echoing silence of the ancient elven base became a heavy weight, pressing down on Riku's dwindling optimism. He explored the familiar pathways, the overgrown chambers, each step a painful reminder of a memory that might now be nothing more than a phantom.
Doubt began to gnaw at him. Had he been wrong? Had the flow of time, the shifting currents of reality, altered the events of his past life? Was the Shuvi he remembered no longer destined to appear in this forgotten sanctuary?
He sank back down onto the cold stone of the alcove, the carved bird feeling heavy and meaningless in his hand. The vibrant violet eyes, the soft melodic voice – were they just figments of a cherished but ultimately lost past?
A wave of despair washed over him, sharp and bitter. He had, wasted 2 whole days, defied Levi's pragmatic warnings, all for a ghost. Had his desperate longing blinded him to the possibility that the future he remembered was no longer set in stone?
"Did the future change?" he whispered into the echoing silence, the question hanging in the damp air, unanswered. The weight of that possibility settled upon him, cold and heavy, a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of time and the fragility of memory. His journey to the past might have been in vain, leaving him stranded in a present where a cherished reunion might never occur.
Back in the familiar bustle of the village, Riku tried to bury his disappointment beneath the weight of responsibilities. The hum of the electricity generator was a constant reminder of progress, a tangible achievement that demanded his attention. Erina continued to refine the power distribution system, her sharp intellect finding elegant solutions to the challenges of scaling up their rudimentary technology. Levi, ever vigilant, spent his days patrolling the village perimeter with the scouts, his keen eyes missing nothing, his combat expertise a reassuring presence.
Life in the village settled into a new rhythm, punctuated by the soft glow of electric lights at night and the steady industry powered by their unconventional energy source. Yet, for Riku, a subtle undercurrent of melancholy persisted. The image of the silent, empty ruins lingered in his mind, a constant reminder of the reunion that hadn't been.
One evening, as the newly installed electric lights cast a warm glow over the village square, Erina approached Riku, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You seem… preoccupied, Riku," she said softly, her violet eyes filled with a gentle concern. "Is everything alright?"
Riku hesitated. He had kept the true purpose of his trip to the elven ruins a secret, unwilling to burden them with the echoes of his past life. "It was… a scouting mission that didn't yield any results," he said finally, offering a carefully neutral explanation.
Erina studied him for a moment, her perceptive gaze suggesting she suspected more. "Sometimes," she said quietly, "the most important discoveries are not the ones we actively seek."
Before Riku could respond, Levi approached, his usual grim expression slightly softened by the warm light of the village. "Dola," he said, "the scouts have reported some unusual activity in the eastern woods. Nothing concrete, but they sensed… something. Might be worth a look."
Riku nodded, a sense of purpose stirring within him. A distraction was welcome. "Alright, Levi. Let's check it out." He looked at Erina. "Stay here. Make sure everything runs smoothly."
As Riku and Levi headed towards the eastern woods, the familiar weight of Igris's card in Riku's pocket offered a silent reassurance. The disappointment of the past few days might linger, but the present demanded his attention. The safety of his village, and the well-being of his newfound allies, remained his paramount concern. Whatever lay in the eastern woods, they would face it together. The future, even if it deviated from his memories, was still theirs to shape.