“Hey, let me through! Trenton! Trenton!” Kiva’s voice cried out.
Atop the hill, pressing their way through the thinning crowd of spirits, was Kiva and Maria, closely followed by everyone else. Unlike some 10 minutes prior, they all seemed healthy and well, their faces flush with color and rife with concern. That and they were actually awake and standing, always a good sign.
Kiva dove at Trenton, plowing into him with her arms outstretched. Trenton spun around his center to diffuse the sudden burst of energy, holding her tight as he quickly came to a stop, her feet touching down gently on the soft green grasses. She laughed as he twirled her about, tears streaming down either side of her face, before planting a quick kiss on his cheek, the hysterical sobbing laughter giving way to intelligible speech.
“My gods I can’t believe it!” She sobbed, looking up at Trenton with wonder in her eyes. “We did it! We’re alive! I thought-I thought it was all over…” Trenton wiped at her face, brushing away the remaining tears from the dwindling streams.
“But we made it, and I didn’t doubt it for a second,” he paused, pressing his forehead against hers, taking solace in the warmth of her skin, “...I’m really happy to see you well.”
“And I, you…Leo told me about what you did, everything that happened, braving the darkness alone to save him…didn’t realize we had a little hero on our hands.”
Trenton and Kiva giggled, enjoying the simple humor after the tragedy they’d just endured. Such a simple thing it was, the contact, the little buzz as she spoke, the tone of her voice. He simply couldn’t help himself. His body began to relax. He began to feel at peace within her company, foregone the cruelties and unknowables of the world, Everil naught but a place for the two of them, just there.
“...ever get a chance to follow up on that date idea? You’ve had so much time to think, afterall,” Kiva mentioned after a moment of silence.
“Y’know, I actually just secured us the perfect spot. I hear the Cloud Isles are lovely this time of year,” Trenton said, watching out of the corner of his eye as, one by one, the group lit up.
Leo, who had averted his eyes, but with the slightest grin on his face, suddenly snapped to attention, mouth agape. Garrote, who’d been staring at them, brow pinched together and slightly raised, simply rolled his eyes. Millie, who’d been hiding behind Leo’s leg, her eyes occasionally darting towards the great lake, leapt out from cover, jumping up and down in front of Trenton and Kiva. Maria, the exact opposite of Leo’s reaction, who’d been gawking widely at them, cheering to herself with every passing maneuver, stopped suddenly and grabbed Karfice, grinning madly. Avardis wasn’t looking at them at all and frankly didn’t seem to even hear Trenton’s news, something flying far above them catching his attention instead. And finally, Karfice just yawned. He wasn’t paying attention either.
“Wait, are you saying…?” Kiva muttered, almost breathless.
Trenton nodded, “We’ve made it.”
Kiva pulled away from Trenton, taking his hands and spinning him all around, laughing brighter than he’d ever heard before, a sound that outshine even the sun, “Oh gods, Trenton, we’re free! We’re finally free! I-I don’t even know what to say!” The sound continued to bubble forth, only rising together with the rest of the group's elation, each of whom celebrated in their own way.
Trenton pulled Kiva back in, this time, and for the first time, delighting in her, instead of the other way around. She seemed surprised for a moment, but yielded to his strong embrace.
“No more dim firelights, no more poorly cooked meals, no more looking over your shoulder when you sleep. It’s over. We can relax.”
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“Well, let’s take care of the vault first, and then we can celebrate,” Garrote said, clearly more than a little impatient. “Sooner we’re done with this, the sooner we can actually be safe.
“Right, of course,” Trenton said, steeling himself and looking over the group. “Maria and Millie, stay here. I don’t want you caught up if there’s any fighting.”
“Hmmmm, fine, I don’t wanna be here anyway,” Millie said, taking Maria by the hand and pulling her off over the hills.
“Good luck! Be careful…especially you Karfice! Don’t you dare fall asleep on-woah!” Maria shouted out, her voice dwindling in the distance.
“Alright, is everyone ready?” Trenton asked, scanning the group.
Garrote nodded, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles, “I’m actually kind of hoping we fight in there. I’ve been meaning to let loose some pent up anger for a while now.”
Kiva nodded, “I’ll follow you wherever. Just lead the way.”
Avardis did not nod. He was still looking into the air, “...still too high.”
Leo nodded, “I’m re-sorry, what’d you say?”
Karfice nodded, eyes dim, “Just about. I’m confident.”
“Good, follow me,” Trenton said, setting off down the gargantuan stone bridge with the others just behind.
“Wait guys, did no one else hear that? Hold on, stop walking so fast!”
“Hey Trenton, what exactly is a vault, anyway?” Karfice asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but I know they’re storage houses of some sort. They were entrusted to the spirits a long time ago for safe keeping for…me, I suppose. I’m not surprised Era never managed to find them, even with his eyes. They’re less of physical spaces and more so memories of places that used to exist. Still, keep on your guard. Threats to your life are still as real as ever,” Trenton answered.
“Yup, figures as much. When aren’t our lives in danger,” Garrote mused.
“Whenever you’re not around,” Kiva joked, drawing a laugh and a brisk high five out of Karfice.
“And how…exactly do we enter it?” Leo asked, suddenly catching up behind them.
“Uhhhh…remember? I’m not really sure on that part. I’m kind of hoping I figure it out in a second here.
“Yeah, I should’ve guessed,” Leo sighed, rubbing his head with his hands.
After another couple minutes of walking, they made it to the center island, stepping onto its shores and towards the purple orb without hesitation. Now that they were closer, it almost reminded Trenton of the orb that the puppet had used back in Avar. In fact, it looked identical, and hummed with a strange vibrancy almost tangible up close. Luckily, as Trenton looked around at them, he realized he was the only one conscious for that fight, so at least he wouldn’t have to give an awkward explanation he didn’t have.
They circled round the orb, each placing their hands on its cold exterior at Trenton’s direction. It wouldn’t yield to their touch, but it did send powerful quakes through their bodies, almost as if it was trying to reject them. All except Trenton, of course, who it almost seemed to call to, drawing him inwards ever so slightly. Now or never.
Trenton wracked his brain for an answer of how to actually access the vault, digging for any semblance of an answer. And although he didn’t get an answer, he did see an image in his mind. The world was dark; they stood atop the prominence of a great stone spire. A large white figure Trenton didn’t recognize had his back to him, tattoos of shifting hues and shape dancing across his skin. He was holding something hard to make out in the gloom, but it looked vaguely familiar, a hovering pure white square surrounded by an equal color m?bius strip with something inscribed on the surface; this was the memory, the day of the vault's creation.
Trenton felt the world twist and tear, every moment spinning back upon itself, forever…forever…forever, time as a moment, moment’s sheared into two, then four, then 8; he felt the great pull upon his body, threatening to rend in twain, but he remembered this part, the trick to the first security placed within his vault. He demanded himself exist, willed himself into reality so wholly that no being in any reality could deny his presence. And when he was certain of none else but the fact that he was truly, the moment fractured before him, infinite lips parting for him, lending the last whisper of caution as a wind to his back as the memory manifested.
