»»-----ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅꜱ------►

Part 3 - ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ -

The two continued their path through the shimmering buildings of Valley - a realm that radiated brilliance with every gleam from the setting sun. light bounced off the walls and seemed to dance with the birds, creating such a display they could not help but stare in awe. Yellow faded with orange, to crimson red, the clouds swirling around them playfully as they neared the end of the race: The Collesium.

As they stood in the centre, the 'crowd' erupted into a cheer. Trumpets sounded and bounced off the walls, the hall growing brighter by the second. Sparks showered them as Avojol grinned, his eyes glinting with pride.

This was home.

He was home.

But he couldn't seem to shake the unnerving feeling that he wouldn't be for long.

Illubic glanced around the building, gaping at the bright, scarlet banners draped across the walls. They glittered with gold, demanding attention with every sparkle. Flags and banners decorated every corner of the building. They climbed the stairs - with a red carpet in the centre - into the temple.

The two moved through the daunting entrance, the golden statues of the Valley twins seeming to stare straight into their souls as if judging them, even from far away. Illubic shuddered. He could have sworn he saw their eyes narrow as they fell on him.

Avojol trudged past the statues as if they were any ordinary object. Of course, these were his ancestors, Illubic mentally facepalmed at the reminder. Still, as they entered the temple, the sheer volume of the room seemed to crush the two sky kids. The hall glowed with brilliance and the quiet pride of a champion. As they approached the humble altar together, Illubic found himself face-to-face with the same golden replicas of the Twins.

They held their weapons in a criss-cross position, the tips pointing towards the sky. Candles lined the altar, and like every other temple, placed in front of the statues was a meditation circle. Illubic watched as Avojol stared up at the twins. It was only at that moment, as he examined his friend closer, did he notice the bags under his eyes.

I wonder why?

Avojol bowed his head, ignoring the questioning glance Illubic shot towards him. He knelt in front of the altar as his friend quietly observed. The candles around them glowed brighter, the flames seemingly fuelled by the presence of a Valley descendant, as if they knew they were in the presence of 'royalty'.

Illubic's question would soon be answered.

Avojol muttered words to himself, his face showing worry, confusion, pain... Illubic could tell he was struggling to hold tears back, willing his heart to swell with the inescapable hurt of losing someone close. Still, he watched on with concern, not daring to break his friend's concentration.

He held out a bright, golden flame to the statues. Avojol muttered more garbled words, but as he listened closer... Illubic realized it was a plea. He begged for advice, anything to revive the soul in his palms. Even to see her for a brief moment was enough to give him closure. He just needed to apologize. He would never forgive himself until he knew she had seen the unspoken apologies in his eyes before he could finally accept she was gone.

Illubic felt his own eyes water as he turned away, listening to Avojol sob silently with the small fire in his hands. He assumed the prayer was over as he heard the soft whispers of the spirits in the air.

I hope their advice was helpful...

He couldn't bear seeing him hurt.

Avojol stood, his eyes still glued to the ground. The flame he held had dissipated. Illubic inched closer, hesitantly holding his hand out. He held it in the air for a second before gently touching his shoulder. Avojol tilted his head upwards, his once gleaming eyes now dulled.

" Did they say anything...? "

Illubic whispered, not wanting to seem like he was prying. When Avojol was ready, he would tell Illubic everything, but that was not now. He felt that his emotions were still too raw.

Avojol only snorted in exasperation, turning towards Illubic, looking him straight in the eyes. Though they weren't as bright, he still managed to glow with courage. He stated clearly what he needed to do, leaving no room for exception. His expression hardened. He knew full well what it was going to cost him.

" I need to get to the Golden Wasteland temple. "

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[748 words; sorry for any errors or confusion. This part is severely under-edited.]

cover design - Sky Cotl
chapter photo - Sky Cotl

- all screenshots, original characters and headcanons from/of the game are mine.
- all credits go to Sky: Children Of The Light/TGC.

♡ thanks for reading - next part soon♡