By evening, Joanna felt better, and Ashley went to sleep with a clear conscience. They had extinguished the magical campfire, which had drained almost all of the sorceress’s strength, and she was physically unable to stand watch. Kairu fell into a restless sleep, wrapped in his sleeping bag and still shivering. They huddled together, warming each other with their backs, and only Viggo, who had the first watch, sat a short distance away, leaning on a short sword. He mourned the axe he had to abandon on the ice to escape the pursuit.

  Two hours later, sleepy and exhausted, he woke Rita with visible relief and immediately collapsed into sleep. Settling on the rocks, the girl already heard his steady snoring.

  The camp slept. Rita sat thinking, staring gloomily into the darkness. She turned, walked among the sleeping figures, and leaned over to look at Kairu’s face. She didn’t smile; she was deep in tense thought. Then she crept carefully to where Joanna lay, wrapped in her sleeping bag.

  The girl was awake, staring upward at the heavy clouds through which the crescent moon barely peeked.

  "I knew you’d come," she whispered.

  Rita sat beside her, watching her. In the gloom, the sweat on her brow was almost invisible. She was still flawlessly beautiful, still wore her jewelry, and even smiled in that same languid way, though it now seemed slightly strained. Rita looked at her, studying her deep eyes, her disheveled black curls, the ruby necklace at her throat.

  "Why?" Rita asked as evenly as she could.

  "You already know," Joanna smirked. "Go ahead. Say everything you’ve been meaning to say. Ask everything you’ve been dying to ask. Chances are, you’re at least half right."

  "I couldn’t figure out why you came with us," Rita said slowly. "Why, after killing Garamant, you didn’t just go back to wherever it is you really came from. It was a huge risk, for you and for us."

  "I waited…" Joanna whispered. "And nothing happened. I saw it was pointless, that we were just tearing him apart between us… and I kept walking with you. Why?.. Certainly not for some prize, or to ‘fix the future’… But I couldn’t do anything else. I realized that back during the Battle of Mainor, when I was sitting in my hideout, deciding whether to go with you—or return."

  "It was… because of him?" Rita asked, her voice trembling.

  Joanna only smiled, because she could see Rita already knew the answer.

  "Do you know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come with us?"

  "We only know what happens in the end," Joanna shook her head.

  "And what will happen then? When will it come?"

  "All in due time," the Nocturn woman smiled. "Those are the exact questions I can’t answer. But I believe you’ll succeed. As for me, that was predestined too. I just didn’t know when or how."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The wound is fatal. I won’t last even a few more days. I’m already much worse."

  Rita was silent, unconsciously turning the hilt of a small knife in her hands. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

  "Listen," Joanna exhaled. "Help me to get up… Let’s move farther away. So no one can overhear us."

  Rita obeyed silently, lifted her, supported her shoulder. Embracing like sisters, they slowly moved along the path between the rocks.

  "Higher," Joanna said. "Yes… Here… Away from them…" She went limp in Rita’s arms, barely dragging her weakened legs, trembling all over. Suddenly, Rita felt warm blood seeping from under the bandage, dripping onto her clothes, and then onto the cold white snow. Here, at the very crest of the ridge, among the bare, snow-covered stones, they were alone with the wind. Rita gently laid Joanna down in a crevice. She stood, scanned the mountains, and suddenly shivered, hugging her chilled arms and turning her face into the wind.

  "It’s so beautiful," Joanna said, propping herself on a stone and looking around. "Just perfect. No need to say goodbye, no need to see their tears or exhaustion… and it’s so nice to know they fell asleep still hoping for the best. That they haven’t lost hope yet. Let this talk stay between us, okay, Rita?"

  "Of course," Rita answered, swallowing hard.

  "So, you love him too," murmured the Nocturn. "Mhm. Life sure plays cruel jokes sometimes… I comfort myself with the thought that maybe he liked me, at least a little… not that it would be surprising."

  "Of course," Rita replied darkly. "Come on, don’t downplay it. He’s not some pampered city boy chasing every skirt. And he never put his personal goals first, even when there were times he was ready to throw everything away for revenge… or when he failed that first attempt at the Citadel. That’s when I realized—there are things he values more. But it was hard not to fall for you, you know? That’s why I couldn’t help myself, ever since you joined us."

  Joanna smiled faintly:

  "I understand you perfectly… Well. None of this matters anymore. I wish you happiness—you and him… just please, never remember me. I’ve lived in this world too long, seen and done too much. My mission dragged on far too long. I got tired of being an Observer, tired of hiding—I just wanted something… normal, you understand? I wanted, like in my youth, to fall head over heels in love with a young and handsome man, to live with him in our own home, to raise his children… And I knew he was the worst choice for such a dream, and I didn’t have much time left—but the feeling was so sharp, so bright, I couldn’t resist.

  "So I decided—damn it all. This is my last journey, so let it at least give me a thrill, make me feel such joy and such pain I’d long forgotten. He was so… confident, and yet vulnerable. He said he didn’t know what to do, but we all felt he did know—he always knew, and that’s why we trusted him and followed him, and it was so simple, so right… Maybe it’s because he’s a Seer? And he saw the right path but couldn’t describe it—it was just signals from his subconscious, from higher realms where everything’s already set? Why is it such a beautiful feeling—to find someone you’re ready to trust with your life, and follow them? You feel it too, don’t you?"

  Rita was silent. She was cold, her thoughts tangled, and she was sinking into a stream of doubts and fears, losing the thread of the conversation. But Joanna kept speaking and speaking, already with the last of her strength, evenly and monotonously, and it seemed that the already long-dead girl lay half-reclined on the rocks, continuing her eternal monologue for the snow and the mountains.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  "How did you end up in this time?" Rita asked, as if waking up. "Why were you looking for Garamant? Tell me everything… from the very beginning."

  "Petros," Joanna sighed. "He came to us and told us everything that had happened. Saelin was supposed to help him start a war in the Southern Province so that, at the same time, the Cassians in Mainor could seize power. He feared the Lake of Aktida, feared the power that the diamond exerted over him, and chose to pass on the responsibility to Saelin. But he overlooked one thing: all this time, Saelin hated him because he blamed him for his son's death. And Saelin tasted power—and decided he’d do everything himself, without Petros's involvement.

  "We knew something was going wrong in the future, and we had long been searching for the reason. The Seer saw a split in reality. Elysium was slipping away from us… All because of the ‘Black Lotus’—they dreamed of reforging reality in their own way. Garamant was their leader, the best of the best… I think he had been living in this time for the past thirty years. And all this time, we were searching for him. He exposed himself for the first time in Petista, when he tried to recruit you and Yuffilis. That made Petros suspicious, and he told us about Garamant. We immediately knew he was from the ‘Black Lotus.’

  "I came here, to the year 1451, to observe everything in real-time. I couldn’t exert Interference until I was completely sure, until I was ready to risk my life and the future of the world by creating a new arc of reality... So I kept watching. I visited Saelin, spoke with him, clarified some things that were unclear to us. Then I went to Mainor, met with the Cassians. Then I met Kairu, and you all, and after hearing your story, I realized there was no more time to lose, and if you were planning to infiltrate Garamant’s mansion, then that was my best chance to finally complete the mission… You know the rest."

  "Did you pass any information to the past?" Rita asked quietly.

  "No," Joanna shook her head. "But there was no need. We knew everything was going according to plan, and Garamant’s elimination was just a small final stroke that wouldn’t have changed much."

  "And the fact that you helped us? In the Citadel, and when we tried to solve Konrad’s riddle, and after that? That didn’t change anything either?"

  "I don’t think so," Joanna smiled faintly. "You would’ve managed anyway. But I must say, I really enjoyed watching you, a handful of desperate lunatics walking to their deaths with nothing to gain. Maybe that’s why you’re still alive?.. Back then, in the Citadel of the Wolf, during our first attempt… I must admit, deep down, I hoped Saelin would kill you, and Kairu would come to his senses and run off with the diamond. In vain… love turned out to be stronger, and I realized my efforts were doomed to fail."

  Rita remained silent.

  "Maybe there was only one time I really helped you… I planted ‘Vaimarakirian’ for Kairu in Ashley’s library. I thought it would speed up the process a bit, and I was right… You’re on the right path. I agree with Gorentum: Darius and Octarus must return to the Island. That’s all I can say. The rest you’ll understand yourselves when the time comes. The main thing is—don’t be afraid, and listen to your heart."

  They fell silent. Joanna took a deep breath and coughed.

  "Go."

  "And you?"

  "Rita, what difference does it make—a day earlier or a day later? Now is the time. The best hour. I’ll lie here a little longer… no one will find me here. Clouds will gather, the snow will fall, cover the tracks… and it will all be over. The main thing is—don’t look for me. Leave in the morning. Convince them, tell them I crawled off on my own…"

  "And how do I explain your absence?"

  "Didn’t notice. That’s your answer."

  "Alright, I’ll come up with something." Rita walked over, sat beside her. She brushed a strand of light hair from Joanna’s forehead.

  "You never liked me, did you?" Joanna smirked. "Especially after you realized… And you probably think that if I’d told you everything earlier, you could’ve done it all much better? Believe me, that’s not true."

  "I…" Rita fell silent, gathered her strength, and forced it out: "I forgive you. Thank you… my friend. For being with us. Maybe if not for you, everything would have gone very differently. Forgive me, too."

  "And I forgive you… Good luck to all of you."

  Rita stood up, turned away, and hurried back down toward the campsite. Joanna remained lying in the snow, her head thrown back, staring into the endless black sky. There was no more pain, no more fear, only an infinite longing and a strange understanding that everything this life had begun with—hopes, dreams, desires, and potential—was ending here, in the dead mountains of Vaimar. She pitied them unbearably, and desperately wanted to put everything back in its place, so there would be no more snow, no more rocks, no night sky, no cold, no piece of lead clogging her blood somewhere near her heart.

  This longing gnawed at her, gave her no peace, and on top of it came exhaustion, and sleep was ready to claim her completely. Then Joanna wiped away the tears that had unwittingly appeared, clenched her teeth, and crawled to the edge of the ledge. She made it, propped herself up on the rocks, lay down, found a sheltered nook among the stones, crawled inside, and with hands numb from the cold, buried herself in the snowdrift. Then she took off her gloves, curled into a ball, laid her head on her hands, and closed her eyes, no longer resisting sleep.

  The cold lulled her, wrapped her in its gentle embrace.

  ***

  At dawn, the snow had passed. Yuffilis and Remiz searched for over an hour, but found nothing. Under the fresh powder, there were no tracks. The mountains were silent, unresponsive to the desperate, hoarse cries of the searchers. The people yielded to their merciless will—and retreated.

  Yuf had promised Kairu he would bring back her body. He did not keep that promise. He and Remiz returned to the campsite where the travelers were waiting and simply told them everything.

  Together, they managed to persuade Kairu not to go into the mountains to look for Joanna. Everyone already understood what had happened.

  They took the horses by the reins and headed to the other side. Kairu, exhausted from the search, walked slowly beside Viggo and seemed to see nothing around him. His lips whispered, "She felt it… She was right…"

  Ashley wept, sitting on the horse behind Konrad, her face buried in his shoulder. Rita was silent, gloomily gazing at the mute mountains rising around them, and at the endless plain that opened below when they passed the ridge and came out on the other side. There, from one edge of the horizon to the other, stretched a dark green sea of trees with pale snowy caps, and there was no end to that forest. The thought that they would have to travel north for many days from here and cross Regerlim was breathtaking, but at that moment, the travelers were too weary to think about it.

  By noon, they had descended from the mountains, taken a short break at the edge of the forest in the shade of towering ancient pines with snow-covered crowns. Then they moved on deeper into the taiga, where the outlines of blue trunks merged into a single dark mass that pulled the eye and did not let go. The travelers looked with dread at the path leading into a place where nothing could be seen but the darkness lying over the druids’ sacred forest. Even in the dim light of the day, it seemed strange. Something eerie and blood-chilling emanated from it, so much so that even Remiz shuddered and pulled his cloak tighter when they stepped onto the path.

  "Now—forward," Konrad said hoarsely. "I haven’t been on this road in thirty years, but I remember it perfectly."

  "We have to go... there?!" Viggo croaked, eyes bulging. "Damn it! Yuf! Kairu! Ashley! Are you kidding me?"

  "Viggo, we must…" Yuf began, but the Kald interrupted:

  "Listen, this is madness! Don’t you see anything? This isn't just a forest—inside there, it’s death! Don’t you see? Don’t you feel it? It’s… like… a gaze…"

  Everyone turned to the forest as if on cue—and suddenly felt the hairs under their fur hoods stand on end.

  The regular horses trembled, tossing their heads and gnawing desperately at their bits. The Hellsteeds reared their necks and neighed with a fierce, mournful cry. The echo raced ahead, darted among the trunks, and vanished in the distance. And then, from deep within, came a reply. It rang in each of their heads, filling them with an inexplicable terror that made one want to hide, to flee far away. But it was impossible.

  "Let’s go," Yuf said firmly. "Viggo, we have to get in there. We must find the druids."

  "You’re all insane," the Kald muttered in a hoarse voice. "Damn it… I’ve lived in Vaimar for years and heard the tales about this cursed forest more than once, but this… If I survive, I’ll pray to Vaimos for the rest of my life. But something tells me we’re all going to die in this taiga. Every single one of us."