As the blonde removed her VR headset her eyes were met with a dark room, the sunlight that had brightened the space long gone as time had flown by. A hand reached for the phone by the side of her pillow, the brightness of the screen as it came to life causing Val to wince as a groan echoed in her throat, before visually confirming that it was quite late indeed.
A long sigh slipped from her lips before she lightly tossed the phone back onto her bed, soft grunts escaping her lips as the blonde chased the stiffness away from her joints by stretching her arms. Nothing however seemed able to get rid of the heaviness Val currently felt in her chest, a hand gently pressed against the skin as she focused on the heartbeats within.
She had died, and this time it hadn’t been just a terrible eldritch nightmare…
The loud cries of Diego mixed with the anguished sound of her name as Yugam called out for her, while the anxious thrills of the basilisk now mostly hidden in the hunter’s cloak wrapped up the haunting tune as darkness began to take over.
The pain she’d felt eventually ebbed away as time passed, though her consciousness had no way of telling just how long it had lingered within the expanse of nothing. It almost felt as if days, perhaps even weeks, had gone by even though the ranger knew it wouldn’t take that long before the game respawned her back into that quaint Sun Claw village they’d visited before undertaking this task.
I really fucked up, huh... A dry laughter echoed along with her thoughts, she could only assume it had come from herself given that she couldn’t sense anything else within this void. He’s gonna kill me once they get back to the village.
She knew that much was a lie, Yugam would never willingly hurt her, but Val was still certain her boyfriend would have a few choice words for her once they reunited.
A soft silver glow began to illuminate the darkness that permeated all around her, causing the shadows to recede as her body came back into her view. A simple and loose white dress wrapped around her figure, not too dissimilar from the ones she’d seen Rael wear in her own dreamscape from time to time There was little time to appreciate it as her eyes began to rove about the space she could now see, wondering where exactly it might be.
It didn’t take long before the elf found the source of the light, a massive full moon that hung on what Lúthien could only assume was the sky. Its moonglow stretched far into the darkness, the intensity lessening as it went, but try as it might it was unable to banish it entirely. What caught her attention the most however was the figure hovering in the middle of it, the features impossible to make out due to the brightness of the moonlight, though it looked decidedly feminine from what little the elf could appreciate.
"U-Uene… is that you?" No answer would come, though there was a distinct amusement in the air that ehr mind could sense despite the distance between them. She felt like a new toy that a child greedily gazed over, thinking of all the possibilities and fun to be had with it. It was quite unnerving to say the least, though the blonde did her best to not let it show.
"I died." Though it had been meant as a statement the figure still gave a nod in her direction. After all, in the end the choice had been left to Luthien and no one else—the option to simply cower and hide had been available if the elf had truly wanted it… though it would’ve come at the cost of another, and that was a steep price that Lúthien had been unwilling to pay. "Are the others… are they safe?"
Silence reigned as an eternity seemed to stretch between them, the experience almost deafening to her sensitive ears,but eventually another nod was received. The loud exhale that left her lips as Lúthien released a breath she’d been unconsciously holding startled the blonde, before her lips pulled into a grateful smile as she looked up towards the moon goddess.
"Thank you." Despite her own misgivings towards the deities within this game her words were earnest, choosing to trust and convey her gratitude to the goddess for the opportunity they had all been granted… even if none ever came without strings attached.
"Mrmm..." A hoarse groan escaped as the new body shifted upon the surface it laid. Her throat felt dry and her limbs heavy, almost like the first time Lúthien had dove into the world and attuned to her new avatar. She finally found the strength to push herself into a sitting position, the bright light of the world around her blinding her gaze and causing the elf to wince, before the weight of another as arms wrapped around her neck pulled the blonde into an embrace.
Surprise colored her face as Diego finally came into view for her, causing Lúthien to wonder just how long she’d been out for—certain that the village had been quite far away from the Moon Keeper’s lair. "Aww, did ya miss me~?" She teased the younger caenis in an attempt to lighten the mood, before returning his hug with one of her own as a soft smile pulled her lips.
The anxious warbles of her own basilisk finally drew her attention away from her fellow whistle to gaze at Yugam, an apologetic look in her eyes as she felt Diego release the hold he had on her and step back. "I’m back… guess I can’t give you shit for the Kurungaar anymore."
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