In the center of the village—

A tall wooden pyre blazed, its flames reaching high into the sky. Thick black smoke spiraled upward, stretching toward the heavens.

Contrary to the hope that she would soon recover and rise again, Darka passed away not long after regaining consciousness.@@novelbin@@

Though her body had already weakened, some believed that she simply saw no reason to recover, having let go of all lingering attachments to life.

Her peaceful expression in her final moments only reinforced that belief.

Following the traditions of the North, a final ritual was held to ensure her soul would not be bound to the earth.

They burned her belongings along with her body. In her folded hands, she held Baskal’s bracelet.

The villagers lowered their heads in silence, tears streaming down their faces.

Ashies stood several steps away from the others, outside the reach of the fire’s heat, and took in the scene before her.

Not long ago, Darka had spoken and laughed with her.

Now, they were cremating her remains. The once-lively village was filled only with the sounds of quiet sobs.

Ashies didn’t understand why they cried.

Darka had simply gone on a journey to a faraway place.

Was parting really such a sad thing?

Ashies couldn’t grasp it.

Not a single tear fell. She felt no sadness.

And yet—

Ashies placed her hand on her chest. Memories of Darka flickered through her mind.

A month wasn’t a long time.

But for Ashies, who had almost no memories to begin with, her days in Lake Fortress made up nearly half her life.

The thought of never seeing Darka again didn’t feel real.

It seemed as if she would still be there, waiting to greet her inside the tent.

A heavy, suffocating weight settled in her chest, as if a stone had been placed there.

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