The Burning Flowers

Chapter II

When his eyes flickered open, he could no longer remember what it was he had been dreaming about. As was often the case, the events of his dreams faded from his memory, leaving only the emotions they inflicted as evidence that a dream had, in fact, taken place. Sometimes he’d wake up in a cold sweat, filled with fear, and he would know that he had just escaped a nightmare. Other times, he would awake with a sense of calm or joy, and he would wish that he could recall whatever pleasant scenes he had experienced. But on that particular morning, the emotion he was left with was a dull anxiety, and all he could do was sigh, realizing that even sleep wasn’t effective at freeing him from his hyperactive nerves.

The man grimaced, pushing himself up to a sitting position as he pressed his hand to his forehead. I really need to pull myself together. Getting worked up over this is just going to make everything harder than it needs to be. Just calm down and let the chips fall where they may. There’s nothing you can do.

Normally, he wasn’t one to get anxious, even when it came to critical life events, but under most circumstances, he had full control over his fate. This time, he could only account for half of it, and the other half would be up to the whims of pure, dumb luck. He hated that there was nothing else he could do, but at the end of the day, he knew there wasn’t any reason to be nervous since he was powerless to affect it.

So stop being so pathetic, Nigreos. Pull yourself together before you make a fool of both yourself and the family.

Scoffing at himself, the eldest child of the Noctis Family, Nigreos Noctis, pulled his blankets off of his body and allowed the rather cool air of his bedroom to wash over his naked skin. The young man took a moment to shake off the drowsiness that still lingered in his eyes then got up from the bed and stretched out his arms, feeling the fatigue from a rather poor night of sleep. He then moved toward his desk a few steps to the left of his bed and grabbed the black velvet robe that was casually draped over the back of the chair. He quickly slipped into it and tied the sash firmly around his waist before stopping and regarding his bedroom with a sad smile.

It was a rather large room with more space than he probably ever needed. His giant, double bed was placed up against the far side of the room, just ahead of a glass door that led onto a balcony overlooking the training yards below. However, at the moment, the curtains were drawn shut, and only a few rays of sunlight were entering into the otherwise dim room. All of the walls were painted in dark shades of gray or were otherwise black, and there were portraits of the Noctis family crest, a black-iron helm with two horns sticking out of both temples, placed both above his desk and just beside the room’s entrance on the wall opposite the bed. To the right of the desk was another door to his closet, though most of his clothing had already been removed and sent off to his destination where they would be awaiting him.

This is it, I suppose. I won’t be back until the winter holidays, he thought to himself, wanting to take in the sight of home one last time before his departure in only a couple of hours.

Letting out a soft sigh, Nigreos crossed the room and made his way toward the balcony door before taking the curtains and pulling them open. The initial wave of sunlight caused him to squint in reaction to the overwhelming brightness, but after giving his eyes a few seconds to adjust, he was greeted by perfectly clear skies, leaving the young man smiling pleasantly as he watched a flock of birds make their way across the blue expanse, seemingly heading south. He then flipped the lock and opened the door so he could step outside onto the marble black balcony, a color that was quite common in the palace. The weather was just as warm as it had appeared and there was only a soft breeze blowing through the air that gently ruffled his black hair. Nigreos took a deep breath, allowing the morning air to fill his lungs, and when he released it, he felt as if most of his anxiety had melted away.

Though I’m sure it’ll be back. I just need to keep calming myself and before I know it, orientation will be over, for better or for worse.

Nigreos leaned forward and placed his arms against the balcony’s railing, deciding to turn his head away from the sky and toward the breathtaking sight of the Great City of Noctalus. From his position in the upper levels of the palace’s western tower, the young man could see for miles, with even the Great Lunar Walls visible at the city’s boundaries, stretching up into the sky as giant, pitch black barricades that had protected the ancient city for centuries. In the space between the palace and the walls, there were residential districts, plenty of markets, and as he glanced off to the right, he could even see Soladnay Park where, beyond the trees that surrounded it, the monument to city’s founder, Rulis Noctis, was on display for families to visit and pay their respects. The sunlight glimmering off the buildings was always a pretty spectacle and Nigreos never got tired of starting his day as he observed the tiny forms of the citizens traversing the roads and hurrying to reach their places of work.

Yeah, I’m certainly going to miss this, he thought. Though, Father always says the view from the Citadel puts this one to shame. I do find that hard to believe.

Nigreos chuckled to himself, took a few more seconds to burn the image of Noctalus into his head, then turned and walked back into his bedroom to prepare for the day. He headed straight for the closet door and, where on other days he might have stopped to debate what to wear, the severe lack of choices made it easy for him. After dropping the robe, he put on some undergarments, pulled on one of his remaining black tunics, as well as a matching set of black trousers, then pulled a dark gray vest over his shirt, buttoning only the bottom three. Once he was dressed, the young man approached the desk and removed his hairbrush from one of the drawers before sitting down in the chair and eyeing his face in the mirror.

He was clean shaven with well-tended light brown skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair that at the moment was sticking out at all ends. Nigreos ran the brush through his hair, wanting it to look even more refined than it normally did, and it was only when he was sure he couldn’t spot even a strand sticking out that he placed the brush back in the drawer, stood up to smooth out his clothes, and turned back to get ready to depart the room. Yet, before he could take even a step toward the door, an obnoxiously loud knocking startled him, followed by the now expected call of his little sister.

“What’s taking you so long, Brother? Come on, hurry it up!”

Nigreos scowled, knowing that her obnoxious morning visits were something he was absolutely not going to miss when he departed Noctalus. Rolling his eyes, Nigreos went to the door and, ensuring that his irritation was clear on his features, pulled it open to face Lunara Noctis, his younger sister by two years. On the surface, she was a pretty and refined girl of age sixteen, with delicate features and dark eyes. She was dressed in clothing similar to his own and her shoulder-length hair was tied back with a ribbon. If one didn’t know her well, it could be easily assumed that she was the epitome of what a Noctis child should look like, but one glance at her wry and mischievous smile was plenty to tell him that she was far from it. In many ways, she was an obnoxious brat, and though Nigreos begrudgingly put up with her antics, he could admit within the silence of his own mind that she did have a twisted charm to her.

“Hurry it up, you say?” he snapped irritably. “Luna, breakfast doesn’t start for another thirty minutes, so I don’t see any need to rush.”

The girl giggled and leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, folding her arms across her chest as she regarded him. “Don’t see any need?!” she exclaimed in exaggerated fashion. “How about spending a little more time with your favorite sister before you go galivanting off to the capital, huh? I’m gonna miss you, you know?”

Nigreos snorted, deciding that if she wanted to tease him then he would simply have to fire back. “First of all, I would choose sleep over you any day of the week, and secondly, I would choose Neah over you as well.”

“Ah?! You know, words can hurt, Nigreos!” she protested, pushing out her bottom lip in a pout that he was sure was supposed to be cute, but instead wound up making her appear rather silly.

He nodded and grinned at her. “Yes, that’s the point. At least Neah doesn’t insist on pounding on my door every damn morning to give me a half hour heads up on breakfast. That alone puts her leagues above you.”

As Nigreos pushed past his sister and pulled the door closed, Lunara snorted and fell into stride alongside him as they began making their way down the western tower’s corridor. Due to the dark stone used to construct the tower, there was a lack of color in the halls of the palace, with only the red velvet of the carpet adding anything other than blacks and grays. Light came in through the few windows that lined the walls and suits of black armor wearing the same helmets of the Noctis crest stood guard as silent watchmen, always giving Nigreos a slight chill whenever he glanced their way.

“Well, I’m sure Neah wouldn’t hesitate to come wake you up if she could get up here by herself!” Lunara haughty pointed out. “I don’t think your evaluation is fair!”

“It’s completely fair,” he replied gruffly. “She’s far too sweet to try and bother me like you do.”

“Bother you?! I’m not trying to bother you! I’m just being a good sister and ensuring that you’re up and ready! Wouldn’t want you missing breakfast, right? It’s the most important meal of the day!”

As Lunara rambled off her excuses, Nigreos nodded to a pair of passing servants, who upon noticing their presence, stopped and bowed their heads before them, each greeting them with, “Good morning, Lord Nigreos, Lady Lunara.” Both Noctis siblings returned the greetings and Nigreos watched as the two continued on their way down the hall.

“So are you excited?”

Having tuned his sister out, Nigreos couldn’t help but frown as he turned back her way with a confused expression. “Huh? About?”

“School, dummy!” she snapped. “Were you even listening to me?”

“No, not really.”

“Agh!” Huffing in clear displeasure, Lunara narrowed her eyes and went on. “You’re finally going to the Academy! I know you keep saying that you don’t feel much about it, but, I mean, this is such an important occasion! You’ll get to live in Erika and see Father more often and form your teams and—”

“Yes, yes, it’s all very exciting,” he interrupted before she could continue on her tangent. “And yes, I’m certainly looking forward to it, but I’m not going to the Academy for fun. I’m going there to learn. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Lunara snorted yet again. “God, you’re so boring! Though I guess that’s what I have to expect out of the oh-so-perfect heir! This is why you’re so exhausting. Album, Eko, and Neah are far more fun. I’m going to be so mad if you turn Al’ into a dullard like you.”

“Well I'm sorry my duties bore you, Luna,” he retorted. “And when you go to the Academy, by all means, have your fun. We’ll see how Father and Mother react to that. And besides…” Nigreos glanced down at her and smirked. “I won’t be doing anything to Album. She’s just as focused on her studies as I am.”

“She’s just not as boring,” Lunara muttered softly, as if pretending she didn’t want to be overheard, but still loud enough that she clearly did.

Truly, it’s a mystery why I’m going to miss these little chats of ours.

Yet, despite their constant bickering, he knew without a doubt that within a few weeks, he would be longing for their banter again. He had his time to relax over the past few months and now that he would be attending the Academy of Erika, he knew the coming days would be stressful and tense. His school life depended on orientation and how it went down, and as the future successor to the Master of Darkness, orientation could easily affect the rest of his life as well. It wasn’t something to be taken lightly, and while Lunara might think of it as boring, being serious was a necessity if he wanted to succeed.

The two Noctis siblings continued on their way, reaching the stairwell that led them out of the western tower and into the palace proper where they found the corridors to be far more crowded, both with servants attending the duties of caring for the estate, as well as the familiar sights of the Noctalus guards doing their rounds, dressed in the black, white-trimmed armor that was customary for the palace security. They all had swords sheathed at their hips and had the visors of their helmets pulled up so that their faces were visible. Similarly to the staff they saw in the tower, everybody who noticed them immediately bowed and greeted them, and Nigreos and Lunara always returned the gesture, having been taught all their lives to show gratitude and respect to those that served them within the halls of their home.

Their destination was the palace dining hall where they always convened with the rest of their family for the mandatory meals of breakfast and dinner, each with very rigid times as decided by their mother, the Lady Nium Noctis. On occasion, members of the Luz family might join them as well, but since they had their own personal dining hall on the light side of the palace, it was quite rare.

And with Album already having left for the capital and Eko busy getting everything together, I suppose Lady Clara would be the only one to join us.

However, despite having lived in the same city as the Lady of Luz for his entire life, Nigreos rarely ever spoke with her. Due to rather unique circumstances and both of this generation's patriarchs serving as Masters of Ijiria in Erika, the governing and control of the city fell to Nium Noctis and Clara Luz, and so the two of them were constantly busy with work. Nigreos didn’t even spend much time with his own mother because of this, so the chances of running into Lady Clara before his departure were slim. After thinking it over, it seemed perfectly reasonable to him, so he was more than surprised when he and Lunara entered the dining hall, only to find their mother sitting across the table from Lady Clara. Nigreos stopped in surprise as both of the women turned at their arrival.

“Good morning, Mother. Good morning, Lady Clara,” Nigreos immediately greeted, bowing his head before them.

Lunara did the same, echoing his greeting, before both straightened up and awaited permission to sit. As he did, Nigreos noticed that Clara and his mother weren’t the only ones present at the long, dark oak table, for his youngest sibling was also there, quietly sitting beside their mother as she smiled at them. Neah Noctis, who was at the age of thirteen, two years younger than Lunara and four younger than Nigreos, was the spitting image of their mother. Unlike the older siblings and their father, she and Nium both had curlier hair that went down to their backs in a braid, and their skin was a darker shade of brown than the rest of the family. In addition, Neah inherited the yellow eyes of their mother’s Noranian heritage.

As for Clara Luz, she was quite taller than the Noctis women, coming closer to Nigreos’s height, and had a presence that always succeeded in intimidating him. Her blue eyes were narrow and stern, and her brown hair was always tied back in a tight bun. Her skin was pale, a common attribute of those from the northern parts of Ijiria, though there was a smattering of fading freckles across her pointed nose. Wanting to quickly look away from the woman, he scanned the room for any sign of her son, Eko, but it seemed it was just the five of them for the moment.

“Good morning to you both,” Nium replied with a pleasant smile. “Please, sit. To be honest, we didn’t expect to see you for another twenty minutes, Nigreos, or else I would have had breakfast already brought out.”

As he and Lunara moved to take their seats on Neah’s left, their mother waved her hand toward a servant who had been quietly standing at the doorway to the kitchen on the opposite end of the hall. Immediately understanding what her silent order was, he turned and departed the room as Nium turned back to regard her children.

“Yes, well, I would have taken a little longer to get myself prepared for the day had my sister not decided to come fetch me again,” Nigreos said, glancing down to his right at Neah with a wry smirk, who returned that smile with an understanding one of her own.

“Luna,” their mother admonished, turning her ever-feared look of annoyance on the middle child. “I thought I told you to stop bothering him so early in the morning.”

“Ah, come on, Mother,” Lunara quickly pouted. “My big brother is leaving later so I just had to spend as much time with him as I could before he goes away forever!”

Nigreos rolled his eyes and though he wanted to retort, Clara’s quiet presence just across the table from him caused him to bite his tongue and allow his little sister to be the only one making a fool of herself. After all, he didn’t want the last impression he left on Clara to be one of an immature boy bickering with his little sister.

“Oh my gosh, he’s not leaving forever,” their mother replied, sharing a similarly exasperated expression to her son. “You’re always so dramatic.”

“Well this is the perfect time to be dramatic,” Lunara insisted. “I’m just going to miss him oh so much! Especially with Album already gone, it’s gonna be so lonely here! Neah and I will be all by ourselves!”

“Don’t worry, Luna, I’ll do my best to entertain you,” Neah assured her, her tone indicating that she, too, was worried about Nigreos and Album’s departures from Noctalus. She put on a brave face, like she always did, but Nigreos knew the girl well enough to see through that mask.

And to be honest, there is a small part of me that wishes I didn’t have to leave, he thought sadly. But life goes on and I’ve known this time was coming for a while. There’s nothing I can do for her anyway.

While he knew Lunara would get used to him being away, Neah was a different story. His littlest sister had always been sickly. She had been born with a disease that, even after all the many decades of research, could not be cured with any known nature magic, and the reason for this was that it was a disease specific to the Noctis family. Though, that wasn’t to say it was a hereditary one, rather it was caused by the constant usage of dark magic in one of the child’s parents. Dark magic, while nowhere near as dangerous and risky as mind magic, was still far from being the safest magical affinity, and took its toll both on the user and their offspring. In Neah’s case, and in the case of a handful of Noctis ancestors, this toll took the form of Hell’s Shadows.

The disease was caused by the body’s cells' failure to contain dark mana within them, and as small amounts of magic leaked into the victim’s system, their bodies began to eat away at themselves. The shadows leaking out of Neah consumed her organs and her muscles, and the only thing keeping her intact was constant attention from their personal healer, Ohilia Ryre, who visited Neah every night to reform the parts of her that dark magic was destroying.

Nigreos spared a brief glance sidelong at the young girl, and though it was hard to tell due to the heavy gown she wore, her body was stick-thin and frail, and she couldn’t walk without help. Yet she smiled and laughed like her body wasn’t self-destructing, and Nigreos couldn’t help but be in awe of her strength.

I just hope…she keeps pressing on. I don’t want to lose her.

It was well known that those afflicted with Hell’s Shadows never survived to adulthood, with many dying as early as ten or eleven, and the strongest living no longer than seventeen. With Neah at thirteen, there was an unspoken fear among the family that her condition could worsen at any time, and Nigreos couldn’t help but fear that when he departed Noctalus later that day, he might never see Neah again.

He desperately wanted to believe that a cure would be found, but as it was, there simply wasn’t enough motivation for the Citadel to research it due to the small number of known cases. Since parental usage of dark magic caused the disease, it was almost never seen outside of the halls of Noctalus. After all, the Noctis family was the only prominent family in Ijiria who studied dark magic, and they could go generations without seeing a case of Hell’s Shadows.

And so, the Citadel doesn’t waste their time trying to cure something that doesn't concern them.

Nigreos subtly clenched his teeth, understanding why the researchers would decide such a thing but also silently cursing the unfairness that Neah was born with. He knew their father was doing his best to figure something out, and Nigreos always swore to himself that he would so the same once he left for Erika, but at the end of the day, they weren’t healers, and a healer might be the only one who could save her.

“Nigreos.”

The young man was quickly snapped out of his internal struggles by the soft utterance of his name, and when he looked up from the table, he realized it was Clara that had spoken to him.

“Er, yes, Lady Clara?”

The rest of the table was silent, indicating that Lunara and their mother’s argument had been finished, and for a moment, Nigreos feared that he had missed something important while he had been contemplating Neah’s condition, but Clara only smiled softly, and that soothed his fears.

“Take care of my daughter, will you?” the Lady said. “I worry about her sometimes, and…well, you and I both know how much her condition weighs on her. I want Album to thrive in Erika, just as Eko has, so would you do me the favor of being there for her?” Clara folded her pale hands atop the table. “You don’t have to be stuck at the hip, but just make sure she has somebody there for her. Can you do that?”

“Of course I can, My Lady,” Nigreos instantly replied. “As I’m sure you know, our fathers have already requested that we join each other’s teams, and I intend to do as they say. Album and I will take care of each other. You have my word on that.”

“Mmm. Yes, thank you. That means a lot.”

He knew Clara was a woman of few words, and with that, she went quiet, seemingly satisfied that he had said what she wanted to hear. Just then, the servants arrived to give Nigreos his last taste of the palace cooking before his departure. The meal was had alongside a pleasant conversation, and he made sure to appreciate every second spent with his family, for it would be until the winter festivities that he would return. And so, he ate his meal with a broad smile upon his face.

***

“You know, I really am going to miss you, Brother.”

From his shoulder, Neah’s soft and airy voice reached his ear, and Nigreos couldn’t help but smile sadly as he glanced back at the girl. He was carrying her on his back as he made his way through the corridors and toward the palace gates where the carriage leaving for Erika would be waiting. When Neah had begged him to take her to the gates with him, he had been hesitant, not wanting to put her through any unnecessary travel, but when their mother had told him it would be fine, he decided to give in. After all, Neah wasn’t the only one who wanted some last minute time together so, after hugging Lunara and their mother goodbye, Nigreos picked Neah up and departed the dining hall.

“I’m going to miss you, too, Neah,” he replied. “But I’ll be home at the year’s end and then we can celebrate the winter festival together, like we always do. You just need to promise me that you’ll do everything Mother and Healer Ryre tell you to do, okay?”

Neah nodded and released one of her arms from around his neck to give him a thumbs-up. “I promise! And I think I’m starting to feel a little better! I haven’t felt any pain in almost three weeks!”

“That’s good. That means the healing is doing its job, so keep pushing through,” he told her. “If anybody can be the first one to overcome this, it’s gonna be you. And like I’ve always said, I will find a way to cure you. There’s not a question about that. Somehow, I’ll find the answers in Erika, and then I’ll come home and make you better.”

Neah laughed weakly, as if she found his declaration funny, but before he could insist that he wasn’t joking, she tightened her hold on him and rested her head against his back. “I believe you. And I’m counting on you, Big Bro.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

They walked the rest of the corridor in silence, Nigreos enjoying the comforting touch of the girl as he rounded the corner and came to the entrance hall, a place already bustling with servants, guards, and visitors alike. Just a quick scan from the bannister as he glanced down to the floor below told him that there were guild masters and merchants present, probably there to discuss some of the new regulations Clara had put in place on the market. They had known and expected some unrest regarding the subject so Nigreos wasn’t surprised to see these merchants in the palace again. There was one he could see arguing with a guard and a few others were loudly demanding to speak with the Ladies.

“You know, Neah, it’s times like these that I’m glad I’m the Master’s heir,” he remarked with a grin. “I would never want to succeed Mother as head of the castle. Luna’s in for a nightmare.”

Neah giggled. “Yeah, she really is. But then again, I’m not sure who will have it worse. Luna or anybody stopping by to argue with Luna. She’s really stubborn, isn’t she?”

“Ha! That’s a good point.”

For a moment, he stopped to imagine how Lunara would handle these unhappy merchants before deciding she would probably just march down there and argue directly with them.

And no merchant, no matter how silver-tongued, is going to beat Luna in a match of stubbornness. That girl wouldn’t concede even if you paid her all the money in the Empire.

Chuckling to himself, Nigreos turned left and made his way toward the curved staircase leading down to that bustling floor. He silently prayed that they would all be too distracted to notice him, but he was hardly five steps to the bottom when one of the nearby merchants looked past the guard in front of him and saw him.

“Lord Nigreos!” he quickly called out. “Lord Nigreos, I demand an audience with your mother! These regulations are simply ridiculous! There has to be a better way!”

Nigreos snorted, barely sparing the man a glance, as well as the many who now realized he was in the room, then waved his hand with disinterest. “I wouldn’t bother my Lady Mother with this problem as she had nothing to do with Lady Clara’s decision. So unfortunately there’s nothing I can do for you. Good day.”

Ignoring the numerous shouts and demands that followed his response, Nigreos stalked toward the wide open double doors of the palace and out into the expanse of gardens that made up the courtyard. Increasing his stride, he followed the black and white cobble path away from the palace entrance, turning left in the direction of the carriages. He had been told that he would be picked up at the western gates so he quietly made his way past all of the many-colored flowers that surrounded them, until he finally reached his destination.

A large and lavish black-covered carriage was waiting just on the road at the back end of the gardens, just outside the entrance to the stables. The driver was already at the front, tending to the black and white stallions that would be pulling it, and just to the left of the carriage, leaning up against the side of the coach, was the other individuals who would be joining him on his ride to Erika.

“Good morning, Eko!” he called out, announcing his presence to the man as he raised a hand in greeting.

Eko Luz, Clara’s eldest child, glanced up and turned his way, then grinned the charming smile that Lunara liked to tell him had caused most of the palace girls to fall in love with him. Combined with the man’s handsome features, narrow blue eyes, and well-kept brown hair, Nigreos could imagine that there was certainly some truth to what his sister said, and when he spoke, his voice was slightly higher pitched than most men, which made him sound soothing to listen to. Neah often remarked that it was a comforting voice, and she had personally asked for him to read her a story a few times in the past when she struggled to sleep, a request that Eko never hesitated to oblige.

“Good day to you, Nigreos,” Eko called back. “Ah, and to you as well, Neah. You’re here to see your brother off then?”

“Yup!” Neah chirped from his back. “But I’m also here to say bye to you, too, you know.”

Eko chuckled. “Well, I’m happy to hear that. I was hoping I’d get a chance to speak with Lunara as well, but it seems we’re out of time. Could you give her my best for me?”

“Of course I can,” the girl answered.

“Thank you very much.” With a brief bow of his head toward Neah, Eko then turned his attention back to Nigreos and indicated the carriage. “Everything is set for us to depart so if you are ready, Nigreos?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” he assured him. “Just give me a moment.”

Excusing himself, he moved off toward a small bench placed just beside the wall of the stables, then gently kneeled down and helped Neah off his back and onto the bench. Once he was certain she was sitting safely, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, feeling again just how thin she had become. Every time he embraced her, he couldn’t tell whether she was actually getting smaller or if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but it caused him anxiety nonetheless.

“Healer Ryre is going to come get you in a few minutes so wait for her, okay?”

“Yeah, I know,” Neah replied with a laugh. “It’s not like I could get far even if I wanted to, though.”

Nigreos smirked, realizing that she had a point. “I’ll come home in a few months,” he told her once more. “And I’ll send a letter to tell you how orientation goes. I know you’ll be excited to hear all about my team and the opening fights.”

“Oh absolutely!” she said enthusiastically. “If I don’t have at least five pages then I’m gonna be disappointed. You better write an entire novel about what happens, okay? And I’ll be really disappointed if you lose! Go kick some butt, Brother!”

“Oh don’t doubt me,” he replied confidently. “Nobody could ever hope to best the great Nigreos Noctis in a fight. I’ll win, I promise you that.”

“And I believe you!” Neah laughed once more then tightened the hug. “Goodbye, Brother. Be safe.”

“I will. Goodbye, Neah. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Breaking off the embrace, Nigreos looked into her yellow eyes and took in the visage of his sister. Just like everything else that day, he wanted to use this look as motivation for the days ahead, and once he was happy, he gave her a pat on the head and turned back toward the carriage where Eko was waiting for him.

“Bye, Eko!” Neah called out with a wave, to which the man grinned and waved back.

“Goodbye to you, too, Little Noctis.”

With that, Eko and Nigreos both stepped into the black carriage and took their seats on the red velvet benches across from each other, the latter pulling the door closed behind them. There were small windows on either side of them, and the one on Nigreos’s left enabled him to still see Neah sitting on the bench, watching them.

“She’ll be here when you get back, Nigreos. She’s strong.”

Eko’s comment, revealing how poorly he was hiding his anxiety, caused him to let out a sigh and lean back against the chair.

“I know. I know that, but…I still can’t help but fear the worst. When it comes to cases like hers…” He grimaced. “Well, you never know which goodbye could be your last.”

“And while that is true…” Eko leaned forward, grinning warmly as he placed a hand on Nigreos’s shoulder. “You should try not to stress. This is an exciting occasion for you—your first year at the Academy. This is an occasion for celebration, so don’t let fears for the future affect your enjoyment of the present. You hear me? Orientation only comes once, you know?”

Knowing Eko was right and that he should be more positive, Nigreos forced a smile to his face and nodded. “Yes, yes, I hear you. Though perhaps it’s a good thing orientation happens once. I don’t think I’ll get a good night’s sleep until it's over.”

“Ha! Well, that’s not true,” Eko remarked. “When I was a first year, I didn’t sleep well for at least a month after school started. The entire first few weeks are utter hell.”

Nigreos cocked an eyebrow. “And what happened to being positive?”

“Oh, I’m being positive,” he stated. “It’s one of those things that sucks in the moment, but after a while, you’ll look back fondly. That I can promise.”

“Is that so?”

Sighing again, the young man took a deep breath to ease his nerves, and soon enough, the carriage began to move. The trip to Erika was roughly five days by carriage so it would still be a little under a week before he arrived in the capital city of the Ijirian Empire, and he knew that when he did, his life would be changed, for better or for worse.