The rain fell steadily, drumming against the canopy of ancient trees as Aeron walked beside the woman who had found him in the ruins. Each drop soaked through his tattered robes, chilling his bones, but he barely noticed the cold. His mind was consumed with questions that clung to him like the damp air around them.
"Why do you help me?" Aeron finally asked, glancing at her sharp eyes that scanned the forest like a hawk.
Lyria Selene's face was set with a hardened determination, but there was warmth in her voice. "Because I've seen what happens when gods abandon mortals. I've lost too much to ignore a chance to fight back."
Her words settled over Aeron like a shield, fragile yet real. She moved with the confidence of a seasoned warrior—each step purposeful, every movement economical. The weight of her sword at her side seemed as natural as the air they breathed.
As they left the ruins behind and entered a narrow trail winding through dense woods, Lyria told him of the world beyond — a land fractured by war and greed. Kingdoms bled each other dry for scraps of power while gods, once revered and worshiped, became distant myths or cruel tyrants playing their own deadly games.
"They say the Pantheon Council rules all, but I've never seen a god lift a finger to save the common folk," Lyria said bitterly. "We're left to fend for ourselves, scavenging scraps beneath the shadows of their thrones."
Aeron listened, absorbing her words. There was pain, yes — but also unyielding resilience. She was fighting not just for survival, but for something greater.
The trail opened into a small clearing bathed in the soft light of a breaking dawn. Birds called to each other, unaware of the heavy burdens carried by the two travelers.
"Where will we go now?" Aeron asked, voice hoarse but steady.
Lyria met his gaze. "There's a village not far ahead — a place where warriors, merchants, and outcasts gather. If you want answers, and if you want to reclaim your power, you'll need allies. Friends are hard to come by, but they're worth fighting for."
Aeron nodded, feeling the first stirrings of a plan forming within the fog of his amnesia.
For the first time, the weight of his past betrayals felt distant, replaced by the faint spark of hope.
Together, they stepped forward, leaving the ruins — and the ghosts of a forgotten reign — behind.