Chapter 470: Lilac
21 years ago… deep in the Rupture Mountains…
The sky was dark and the mountain’s chill air wafted through the small campsite. The smell of smoke and the sound of crackling wood roused Aurelia awake. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up hastily. Pain shot up through her back and she grimaced with a low moan.
“Don’t move too much,” Ivory advised.
Aurelia looked up and saw him sitting across the campfire. “Ivory…? W-What are you doing here? Where are we?”
“You and Vi are safe, that’s all that’s important right now.” He pointed to Virella who was sleeping in a makeshift cot next to her.
“W-What happened…? I… I was…” Aurelia held her head between her hands.
The last thing she remembered was that they were on the peak of Pale-Stone, searching for selevine flowers. She and Virella had found them and then—
Aurelia’s eyes widened in horror. “A behemoth…!” She swallowed hard. “We were attacked, everyone—” She turned to Ivory, worried hope in her eyes.
He shook his head subtly. “I’m sorry. You two were the only survivors.”