She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, letting out a fragile yawn. The faint light filtering through the temple windows caught her silver hair, turning it into a soft golden haze.
She stood and smoothed her tattered uniform as best she could. Now that Ryn was awake, she wasn’t going to take any chances, though she doubted he would even care.
She set water to boil and glanced at their meager supplies. Whispering to herself, she said,
“...We really need some protein."
She picked through the remaining vegetables and gathered a few herbs, breaking them apart carefully and adding them to the water. The aroma was faint, but it filled the small space with warmth. She stirred slowly, savoring the simple rhythm of the task.
She didnt know why, but she was intent on making something good for breakfast today.
Ariel stirred next. She had clearly fallen asleep while keeping watch, and a flicker of embarrassment passed over her face as she realized it. Her golden hair was tangled, and her dress hung loosely around her shoulders.
“Good morning,” Lilia said softly, offering a small smile.
Ariel sat up, rubbing her eyes, the corners crinkling as if she were trying to hide a yawn. “I… didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she murmured.
Lilia shook her head, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “It’s fine. Its clear you needed rest”
Ariel looked away, the sunlight catching in her golden hair.
She rose slowly and crossed the short distance to where Lilia sat by the fire.
For a while, she just watched her friend work, the quiet scrape of wood against metal filling the air.
Then, softly—
“What are you making? It actually smells… kind of decent.”
Lilia let out a short laugh, covering her mouth with the back of her hand— it was almost normal.
“I have no idea,” she admitted, smiling faintly. “I just…just felt like making something nice today. Don’t ask me why.”
Ariel nodded at that.
“I wont”
After a pause, Lilia spoke again, forcing a lighter tone into her voice
“It’ll be ready soon,” she said, stirring once more. “...Help me wake up Ryn?”
Ariel hesitated before nodding. “Yeah.”
She walked to Ryn’s tent — and immediately froze.
She hadn’t really seen him sleep before.
And, she prayed to the gods she would never need to again.
For a long moment, she just stared.
Ryn was sprawled across the floor like someone had dropped him from a height and left there. He was still wearing nothing but bandages above his waist, His legs were tangled, one arm flung out to the side, the stump of his right reaching as far as it could — as if he’d tried to grab something in his dreams and missed. His face, somehow, was peaceful. Too peaceful.
Ariel sighed.
“Ryn…”
No answer.
“Ryn.”
Still nothing.
She crouched down, frowned, and gave his leg a sharp kick.
He shot upright with a strangled gasp, eyes darting wildly, the movement jerky and panicked. His right hand — or what was left of it — went for a weapon that wasn’t there, and his left stretched uselessly into the air before he realized.
He blinked at her, breathing hard.
“…You know I’m still injured,” he muttered. “Right?”
Ariel only stared back, unimpressed.
Then, without a word, she turned and walked away, heading back toward the fire.
Behind her, Ryn just exhaled.
Ryn stretched as he stood, his joints popping in quiet protest.his entire body still pained but — something survivable.
He made his way over to where the girls sat. Lilia was hunched over a small pot, stirring with complete focus. Whatever she was making actually smelled… decent. Ariel sat nearby, arms folded, quietly watching the fire.
“Your tunic’s in the cart, Ryn,” Lilia said without looking up, her voice distracted.
Ryn nodded. “Alright.”
Silence lingered for a moment, broken only by the faint bubbling of the pot.
Ariel glanced at him. “Are you not going to wear it?”
Ryn blinked, then tilted his head slightly, as if just realizing what she meant. Without a word, he pushed himself back up and went to the cart.
The tunic lay there, folded over the ruined armor, that had been handed to him a mess, and he had turned into an even bigger mess.The plates were cracked, the leather straps stiff with dried blood.
He hesitated before touching it. The cloth was rough and stained, the dull weave now black and burnt. Still, it was familiar.
He pulled it on slowly, wincing as the fabric brushed against the bandages covering nearly his whole torso. it felt heavier than he remembered.
It was the one Brann had given him back in Solvara.
He paused mid-motion.
Ryn exhaled through his nose and forced the thought away, tightening the strap at his waist before returning to the fire.
He didn’t look too long at the cart — or at the things Ariel and Lilia had gathered.
By the time he came back to sit, Lilia seemed to be done and was pouring her stew into bowls.
It didn't look the best, but it smelled surprisingly good.
Ariel and Ryn hesitated to eat at first, but under Lilia's stare they yielded.
Their eyes widened after tasting the first spoonful. It tasted good—really good. Or perhaps their taste buds had rotted after days of eating nothing but grass and roots and whatever else they could find.
Lilia looked away slightly, her voice soft. "Sorry it's not much... We really need something else in our diets other than plants."
Neither of them acknowledged Lilia's complaints. They just focused on eating.
After a few minutes, the three of them were almost done with their meals.
Ariel spoke first. "...So what's the plan today?"
Lilia set down her bowl, thinking. "Well... we were going to explore the temple. But that was before Ryn woke up." She glanced at him, then back to her hands. "And you're still recovering, so..."
She trailed off, uncertain.
Ryn looked between them. "So?"
Lilia bit her lip. "S-So... change of plans?"
Ariel nodded.
A brief silence settled over them.
Ryn was about to speak up. "If exploring the temp—"
Lilia piped up before he could finish.
"H-How about this," she said, setting her bowl down. "We could explore the outside of the temple. Just a little."
She glanced between them. "Help map out resources, maybe? Now that all three of us are awake, our food supplies have shrunk a lot faster."
Her fingers twisted together. "So... we should take some precautions."
"Besides," she added, "...it'll be easier for Ryn than having to move all that rubble around."
Ariel nodded at that. It made sense.
??Ryn's eyes narrowed. He looked like he was about to argue, but seemingly changed his mind. He only turned his gaze away, his fingers curling against the temple's marble floor.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"We'll need to stay close to the temple," He added quietly.
Lilia nodded quickly. "R-Right. Just the nearby area. See what's around us."
Ariel stood, brushing dirt from her dress. "When do we start?"
"Now" Ryn said, glancing toward the temple opening where morning light filtered through.
Lilia hesitated, then stood as well. "I'll... I'll grab the waterskins. In case we find a stream or something."
***
The three of them stepped out through the towering temple doors, the air warm and clear after the rain.
Ryn squinted as sunlight hit his face, bright, almost blinding after so long inside. It took him a few seconds to adjust, and when he did, the sight before him made him pause.
The Sol Garden stretched endlessly, rolling hills blanketed in swaying green grass and dotted with flowers that shimmered faintly in the light. The air smelled clean, alive.
Lilia and Ariel followed behind him.
In the sun, it was obvious how much of a mess the girls were. Their clothes were torn and melted in many places, both of their hair tangled and matted.
He glanced down at where his right arm used to be, then back at them.
"What are you staring at?" Ariel said.
Ryn didn't respond at first.
"Just observing," he said finally.
Ariel looked at him for a while, then turned to follow Lilia forward. "Observe something else then."
The three of them moved through the hills, grass crunching softly beneath their feet. The morning air was cool, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers.
"No way..."
Lilia seemed to notice something. She broke into a run, scrambling up to the top of the hill they were currently climbing.
"Ariel, look!" Her voice cracked with excitement.
Ariel walked forward, curious at what had gotten Lilia so worked up. Ryn followed behind the two, limping, his pace measured.
The sight he saw was incredible, as always—the Sol Garden stretching endlessly in every direction. But it wasn't that which seemed to catch Lilia's attention.
There was a lake. Clear, sparkling water that reflected the morning sun like glass.
Lilia's fingers clenched Ariel's tattered sleeve, gripping tight enough to shake.
"This means..." Her voice trembled. "This means we can finally clean ourselves properly. And get good water."
Ryn almost swore he could hear tears in her voice. When he looked closer, he could see her shoulders shaking.
Ariel stared at the lake, then at Lilia. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I guess we can."
After a while, they silently agreed that they would return to the lake—finally able to wash away the days of dirt and exhaustion clinging to them.
...Away from Ryn, of course.
Apart from the lake at the back of the temple's hills, they found trees which produced a very sweet fruit. This seemed to confuse Lilia—if all of this was here, how had Ariel not been able to get anything before?
She stared at Ariel.
Ariel looked away sheepishly, her fingers fidgeting with the air around her waist.
They found a random spot of burnt grass, the earth blackened and still faintly warm. Assuming it was lightning, they moved on.
Ryn lingered on it for a while.
Then he turned to look at Ariel, his eyes narrowed.
She didn't meet his gaze.
They continued on. The sun was already pretty high by now and seemed to be slowly descending, casting long shadows across the hills.
While they were walking, Ariel and Lilia had conversations, but most of the time they were short-lived. Ryn hadn't said much, trying not to show the pain and limping on his face—but it looked like he'd failed.
"Ryn..." Lilia slowed her pace, glancing back at him. "If–If you're not okay, we can head back… It's getting late anyways."
"I'm fine."
Lilia looked worried, her brow furrowing, but she continued on after a moment's hesitation.
Ariel paused.
She turned around and walked back to Ryn.
Without a word, she hooked her arms under his shoulders to help him balance. His hand brushed over her cloth-wrapped arm as he steadied himself.
Ariel helped support Ryn, taking some of his weight.
Ryn looked at her. "Thanks," he said flatly.
Ariel nodded, adjusting her grip. "...Don't mention it."
They searched the surrounding hills until the sky began to fade, the soft gold of evening deepening to blue. Apart from the river and a few scattered fruit trees, there wasn’t much else to find.
Just as they were turning back toward the temple, Ryn stopped.
“There are tracks here,” he said, his voice low but alert.
Lilia and Ariel, her arm still hooked under Ryn’s to steady him, turned to where he was pointing.
Lilia hurried forward, crouching beside the marks in the dirt. “...These look like hooves. Maybe a boar?”
Ryn leaned on the nearest rock, studying them for a moment before nodding.
“Definitely a boar.”
Ariel arched a brow.
Noticing her expression he stated matter of factly
“I hunted a lot when I was younger.”
Lilia’s eyes widened. “w-what?”
“It was a long time ago.”
Lilia’s expression brightened almost immediately. “S-So you know how to get us meat, right?”
“Yes…?”
He looked like he almost regretted saying anything.
Her eyes brightened, and she leaned forward eagerly, “Then what do you guys say—”
Before she could finish, Ariel cut her off sharply. “No, Lilia.”
“W–Why not?” she asked, her voice softening. “If we keep going like this, we're all gonna end up more fatigued than we already are.”
“And you barely eat as it is…”
Ariel sighed, brushing her hair back from her face. “It’s too dangerous,”
Lilia turned her gaze away, though the look on her face said she wasn’t quite done with the argument. Still, she let it drop.
They made it back to the Trial in one piece. With the way the day had gone, things almost felt… normal.
Lilia was the first to move once they reached the temple's heart, gathering what wood and scraps she could find. The materials were sparse.She worked methodically, her movements slow but deliberate, until she had enough for a small fire.
Soon enough, flames crackled to life, small but steady. The faint glow pushed back against the dark, casting long shadows across the cracked marble floor. The warmth that radiated from it felt comfortable.
They sat in silence for a while. Ariel half-leaned against the wall, her head tilted back, eyes closed but not quite sleeping. Ryn rested near the cart, one hand draped loosely over his knee, his breathing even. Lilia sat closest to the flames, watching the embers dance and shift, her eyes heavy from exhaustion.
The fire popped softly. The sound echoed faintly through the hollow space.
For a moment, it almost felt safe.
"I'll take the first watch," Ariel murmured eventually, her voice steady despite the tiredness in her frame.
Lilia stirred, lifting her head. "Ariel—"
"It's fine." Ariel didn't look back. "Get some rest."
Lilia wanted to protest—to tell her she'd been doing this too often, that she needed sleep just as much as they did—but the words caught in her throat. Ariel's tone left no room for argument. Instead, Lilia just nodded, letting the warmth of the fire and the weight of the day settle over her like a blanket.
Her eyes drifted closed.
Ryn's gaze, however, remained open. He watched Ariel, her silhouette framed briefly by moonlight. The firelight caught on the cloth wrapped around her right arm as she passed—the same arm she kept tucked close to her side, the one ryn had not seen what was under and the one she never let hang loose or rest naturally.
He frowned.
Something about it didn't feel right. The way she moved. The way she held herself. The faint tension in her shoulders even when she thought no one was looking.
He knew why.
The flames burned low, filling the temple with a faint, rhythmic crackle.
Outside, the wind whispered faintly through the broken arches, carrying the distant hum of the forest.
Ryn on the other hand sat with ariel for a while longer
The flames had thinned to glowing coals, breathing a dull red light through the hollow of the temple.
Ryn sat across from Ariel.
She hadn’t moved since Lilia went to lie down. Her eyes stayed fixed on the fire, her right arm pressed close to her side.
“You’re not sleeping?” Ryn finally asked.
Ariel shook her head. “I said I’d take the first watch.”
Ryn frowned, studying her in the firelight, the dark circles under her eyes, the bloodless lips, the way her fingers twitched when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“You really think this Trial’s gonna save us?” Ryn asked, his voice low, almost tired.
She didn’t answer right away. The fire popped, sending a small spray of embers between them.
“I have to,” she said finally. “If I stop believing that… then none of this means anything.”
He wanted to argue.
But when he opened his mouth, nothing came out.
The wind howled softly through the cracked archway.
She met his gaze, tired, gold, distant. “Get some sleep, Ryn.”
He hesitated, then nodded slowly.
“Wake me if anything happens.”
“I will,” she said.
Ryn started to walk away, his limp soft against the marble. But after a few steps, he stopped and turned back toward Ariel.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why haven’t you told Lilia yet?”
Ariel didn’t move at first. Then her shoulders tensed—just barely, but Ryn caught it. Her breath hitched.
When she finally spoke, her voice was thin and uneven.
“I’m not…” She stopped, shaking her head. “She’s not ready.”
Another pause. Her lips parted again, quieter this time. “...Not yet.”
Ryn’s gaze lowered. He stood there for a moment before answering.
“You can’t decide that for her.”
Ariel blinked, the words hitting her like a slap. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
The fire crackled, its light stretching across the marble floor like veins of gold.
“I’ll tell her tomorrow,” Ryn muttered, expression flat.
“And I’m pretty sure she already knows.”
He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, Ariel stumbled forward.
"Wait—"
Her footsteps were uneven as she crossed the short distance between them. She grabbed a loose bandage at his arm, her fingers shaking.
He stopped.
“Not yet.”
“I’ll tell her myself,” Ariel continued, the words spilling out faster, breaking apart between breaths.
“I swear. I will. Just—” she swallowed hard, her voice barely holding together, “just a few days. Please.”
Ryn looked down at where her fingers gripped the cloth. Then at her face.
The firelight caught the shine in her eyes, but she didn't let the tears fall.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then—slowly—he nodded.
“...Alright.”
Ariel’s hand fell away, trembling.
Ryn turned, limping toward the far side of the chamber where Lilia slept, his shadow stretching long across the stone.
Behind him, Ariel remained standing beside the fire, her face half-lit, half-swallowed by the dark.
The flames danced weakly, their glow reflecting in her eyes, until finally she sank to her knees.
Oh yes, I’ll join the Discord server of my fave author, meet awesome people, and become super famous, right? Well, that was the idea ’til everything went sideways, and now my life is upside down and inside out.
Who can I trust? What is real? Is anyone on Discord actually a person? Or is it all just some whack game designed to drive me mad? I’ve got one friend who I sorta count on, but dare I confide in him my deepest, darkest fear: what if no one on Discord is actually real?
How far down the rabbit hole did I go in my quest for fame and fortune? There’s only one way to find out, so you know what to do. Yeah, click Read Here.
What to Expect:
- Female lead.
- Sapphic characters.
- An innocent, lovable gal with quick wit who gets in over her head on Discord.
- Comedy turned psychological thriller without violence or physical peril.
- Character driven. Found family. Slice-of-life moments.
- This stand-alone book is a spin-off from my series.