A slow, graceful melody began to drift through the air.
The soft notes lingered, performed by half a score of musicians, brandishing zithers, gusils and other instruments. Alden watched them sway as they played, a sense of peace rising within him as he closed his good eye, savouring the rare, tranquil moment.
He inhaled a deep, chilly breath, wishing he could freeze time, so that he could forever remain in this calm state.
He did not possess such a power.
Instead, Alden had received the ability to destroy without leaving a trace. To decay.
And while the sheer lethality of that did not usually burden him, right now, he wished he could have awakened a slightly different power. A gentler, more benign Magic Class, where he was not capable of snuffing out life in an instant, erasing any sign of someone or something's existence.
He sighed and shook his head, the surrounding, swirling mist reflecting his inner turmoil.
'I should just stop thinking and enjoy this moment.'
And that was exactly what he did.
Alden held Ignia close and turned his brain off, intent on making the most of this opportunity. The white-haired young man leaned back and crossed his leg over the other, using the bench for support. He raised his head, staring at the celestial firmament with a distant and far-off gaze.
A while later - after changing position - Alden gazed at the great bonfire, captivated by its calming, almost blinding glow. The fire cast deep shadows across his face, smoke and mist slowly curling towards him. The Keeper's Apprentice spared the dancing couples in the centre a glance, his expression neutral, and his heart sealed off.
He witnessed a flash of what looked like purple hair, and saw the fair-skinned youth who had visited his stall a few days ago, dancing with a younger form. Probably his sister.
He also saw Drakon pleading with an ice-cold beauty to the side, her expression extremely aloof. It was as if the Ember Heir was like a fly buzzing incessantly in her ears. Alden struggled not to laugh at the sight.
He continued to immerse himself in the celebrations, slowly unwinding.
That was until he noticed Elara and Alistair amongst those dancing.
…Which meant that Celeste was most likely nearby, as well.
Alden scanned the oscillating crowd urgently, his stomach sinking, an ominous premonition taking root in his mind. Suddenly, he stiffened as all the colour drained from his face.
Alden's temporary peace shattered, as if it had never existed at all, like an illusion scattered by the wind.
Nausea and fear clashed inside him to form a maelstrom of regret.
There, a radiant beauty danced in the arms of another man. She wore an ornate ceremonial dress, her blond hair styled up. Her jade green eyes sparkled in the light of the fire, and several gems decorated her figure, glowing to add a bewitching allure to her youthful and enticing figure.
Alden's breath caught in his throat.
Celeste was mesmerising.
'Absolutely gorgeous.'
Ignia cried and shifted in his embrace, recognising her mama. Alden took a shuddering breath, trying to regain his composure.
Unfortunately, his heart refused to calm, utterly shaken.
"The heart always longs for what is out of reach."
Alden snapped out of his devastated daze as an understanding and sympathetic voice streamed into his ears. He turned to his right, where the source of the sudden voice stood.
Alden scrutinised the newcomer.
In the light gloom filled with shadows, smoke and mist, his features were quite hard to make out. However, Alden very quickly discerned the stranger was an age-mate, and that he had a thin, almost willowy frame.
"Name's Devin. Some call me a Poet."
The stranger smiled and offered his hand.
Alden stared blankly at him, making no move to accept.
"You couldn't be any less interested, huh?"
He sat down beside Alden, which made the white-haired young man internally sour, his frown deepening.
"Relax. I won't take up too much of your time. I just saw a kindred soul, and thought I should say hello."
Glancing at his profile, Alden noticed Devin wearing a pair of glasses, which the youth idly pushed back onto the bridge of his nose. A wistful expression then appeared on Devin's face as the Poet stared at the swaying crowd.
Alden shifted his gaze towards the dancing couples, watching as they laughed, smiled, and basked in the warmth of their lovers… others, infected by the romantic atmosphere, summoned the courage to confess. Their cheeks were flushed, fidgeting uneasily as the recipients of their affection gave their answers.
Observing such scenes made Alden feel sick.
He wanted to dig a hole in the ground, and just vanish. The thought of Celeste dancing with another man annoyed him, irritated him… and eventually robbed him of any remaining joy he thought he still had left. His surroundings turned grey and lifeless, even more so than the night he had accepted that his parents had died.
He muttered quietly, rapidly transforming into a pale husk of his former self.
Everything felt… hollow.
The only tether he had was the pitch-black phoenix he held in his arms, but even then, she struggled to illuminate his dim world. Ignia's worried cries reverberated in the back of his mind, alarmed by his sudden change.
"Ah, this emptiness. This regret. What a void it is."
Then, he shook his head, and turned to face Alden. Shadows reached out like dark fingers across his slightly gaunt face.
"As humans, we fixate too much on the past. I know that… yet I still mourn endlessly for what I have lost."
Suddenly, Devin's tone turned wry.
"Isn't it funny? We spend so much time lamenting on what could have been, and what once was, that we ignore the present, and rarely, if ever, think about the future. Granted, our generation and the few before us are a bit of an exception, considering we live in an Apocalypse. Still, dwelling too much on the past does no one any good.
"Not you, or me, or those… we may have let slip."
"Are you telling me to give up?"
Alden's voice came out hoarser than he intended.
"No. However, only by accepting the current situation, no matter how difficult it is, can we start to move on and put the past behind us. To focus on the present, and appreciate that life still flows through us, and that we still have a chance to change things, so long as we draw breath. Asterons know… this hope is all that keeps me going."
Devin gave a fragile smile, then laughed self-deprecatingly.
"Ah, what am I doing? We've only just met. Apologies, I got carried away with my philosophical rambling."
Alden stared at his age-mate's sheepish grin, then sighed.
Devin's words reverberated in his mind.