Private Of Salt and Silence

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The morning mountain air on Tython was cool and clean, laced with pine resin and the distant hush of falling water. The sky above was pale with cloudlight, and the wind passed softly through the crags like a living breath — not in a rush, not in warning, but as if simply being, and that was enough.

Issar Rae’Velis moved as though the stone knew him. His long, serpentine body coiled over rocks with an almost lazy grace, arms steady as they pulled him forward along narrow ledges, across jagged inclines. Despite his towering frame and alien form, there was nothing cumbersome in his motion. He climbed in silence, in rhythm, in ceremony — limbs working like flowing ink, never clumsy, never abrupt.

This part of the journey was meant to burn the outer noise — to fill the muscles with ache, the lungs with silence, the mind with space. One did not descend into shadow without first shedding distraction.

They had been walking since dawn, almost exclusively in silence. Now, as the sun reached its apex, they crested a rise where the mountain briefly opened to a flat expanse of weathered stone and low grass. A lone tree stood nearby — old and wind-beaten, its roots cracking through the rock like veins.

Issar slowed. He let Reina catch up. Then he turned his gaze out over the valley below, arms folding behind his back, the faintest sound of wind moving through the beads and bronze charms that hung from his belt.

He did not look at her as he spoke — his voice low, but perfectly clear, as if the mountain carried it rather than his throat.

"The place ahead will ask more than your body. It will not demand answers — only truth. If you would speak now… if you would ask… this is the place."

The silence after was not pressure, nor invitation.

It was space — wide enough for whatever she might bring.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

She was closer than normal. With her replacement leg still not being something she was fully accustomed to, it was a slow and toiling road up the mountain. She did not speak during the journey, preferring to save oxygen for the climb as she pulled herself up slowly but surely. She could have brought her harpoon with her, to use it as some kind of walking aid, but Reina had decided to forgo the idea of bringing any weapons on this journey. It was meant to be a journey about her. Not about the items she carried on her person, but the weight that burdened her.

As much as Reina hated the ground, the dirt beneath her feet, the higher they climbed, the closer and closer she felt to the sky. To the air that filled her lungs. It was what she wanted. Needed in this moment. To feel high above the clouds, even if she wasn't physically. The higher she went, the more and more she felt free before they eventually reached the top and Reina looked out amongst the valley, folding her arms along her front before she listened to Issar's words, and she shook her head for a moment.

"...I've never been good...at asking questions Master...Sometimes I find out answers I don't want to know. Or answers I can't begin to understand...And I feel like any question I ask right now, the answer would be one I can't understand. I'd need...to experience it to understand."

She responded to the silence carefully, keeping her arms folded. It was both defensive but also comfortable for her. It was better than leaving her arms hanging loosely at her sides at the end of the day.
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

Issar did not turn to look at her. Not yet.

He listened first — not merely to the words, but to the rhythm behind them. The way they came not as confession, nor even defence, but as something else entirely: a truth carried with effort. Like stone borne in a rucksack for long enough that it began to feel like a spine.

When she finished, the wind moved again. Higher now. Thinner. He felt it drift through the peaks like breath through ancient lungs.

"Very well."

The words were soft. Final in their way — not dismissive, but trusting. He gave no comfort, no lecture. She had said what was needed. That was enough.

Without another word, he turned once more and resumed the path.

They walked for some time in silence again, weaving now through narrow ridgelines and switchbacks of worn stone. The trees thinned, and with them the sounds of life. Eventually, even the wind withdrew, as though the air itself were listening.

When they reached the next rise, Issar slowed. The path ended at a cleft in the mountainside, jagged, unmarked, and wholly unremarkable to the eye. No altar, no icon, no steps. Just a narrow split in the rock, as if the world had once been cracked open by something too vast to comprehend.

But the Force stirred here.

Subtly at first, like the whisper of a long-dormant current beneath still water. But to any sensitive soul, the truth was undeniable: something old and strange and watchful resided within.

Issar stopped before the entrance.

He was utterly still for several long moments — not meditating, not inspecting. Merely listening.

Eyes closed, arms folded, breath low.

Then, slowly, he turned to face her.

His voice, when it came, carried no gravity — and yet it seemed to settle into her, rather than over her.

"This place does not demand strength, only presence. What awaits you is neither enemy nor friend. You must not hold back."

One of his four hands reached forward — slow, deliberate. He placed it on her shoulder. Not heavily. Just enough to ground her. His four black eyes softened — just slightly. Enough to reveal the immense stillness beneath them was not coldness, but care.

"Are you ready, Reina?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

Reina let out a content sigh as she felt the wind against her hair. It gave her a blissful feeling. Not entirely joy or happiness but it felt good. The wind was a part of her. It blew against her sail and kept her moving forward. Even when her legs wanted to give up, even when she wanted to take a breather, Reina felt the wind against her back, keeping her moving forward as she followed Issar further up the mountain...until the notable absence of the wind caused her to stumble. It was as if it was there for one moment and then gone in the blink of an eye. It was an uncomfortable feeling if she was honest to herself, that blissful sensation finally gone...

Yet she continued to move. Following her master's every steps. They managed to reach some split between the rocks, the presence of the Force being notable. There was something inside there. Something watching. Potentially judging. Something that would be able to look straight through Reina, no matter how much she'd try to hide from it. But she wasn't afraid. Not overtly. She had nothing to be afraid of. Plenty to be potentially angry over. But...there wasn't much in her eyes that she could be judged for that she'd be scared over.

"...I've never had an issue with holding back before. In a fight at least...Though I doubt this is going to be a fight. At least not a fair fight..."

She tried not to wince at the touch on her shoulder. Reina trusted Issar. He wasn't a stranger to her...yet more and more scars from Serina remained. The dread at being touched by people was something that still weighed heavily for her, but she tried to put it to the back of her mind as she stared at the entrance. Waiting as if she was looking for a sign before she gave a short nod.

"...I am ready."

And with that, Reina began to walk towards the entrance way, ready to head straight on in.
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The moment Reina stepped beyond the stone threshold, the world behind her felt as if it vanished.

Not violently. Not suddenly. But with the same quiet finality as a ship leaving shore.

There was no change in light — no drop-off into complete darkness — but the atmosphere shifted. The sound of her own footsteps became louder, more immediate. Each breath echoed a little longer. And most noticeably, the wind was gone.

Completely.

Even the faintest air movement had died. No breeze reached this place. The only sensation left was the subtle pull of cold — not freezing, but persistent, as if the walls themselves had long forgotten the sun.

The path narrowed for a while, forcing her to lower her head slightly and pass through slick, smooth stone. There were streaks of mineral along the sides, thin veins of shimmering quartz and mica that caught what little light her presence seemed to stir — bioluminescent moss, maybe, or something less explainable. It flickered faintly behind her, as if the cave only lit the path already taken.

The ground sloped downward.

And then, without ceremony, the passage widened.

A shallow cavern opened before her. The ceiling here was high, uneven, glistening with condensation. Stalactites hung like the teeth of some enormous, sleeping beast. Pools of still water reflected her faint outline, warped and stretched, like oil on canvas.

It was eerily silent.

Even her footsteps on the stone seemed dampened now, as though sound had weight here — and too much would disturb something waiting, listening.

Then—

A sound.

Small. Faint. Fragile.

A whimper.

Not constant. Not rhythmic. But unmistakable.

A baby.

Far off, through one of the winding cracks in the far wall. One moment it was there — sharp, pitiful. The next, gone again. As if it had only barely existed.

The kind of sound that did not demand, but implored.

And the cave was silent once more.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

She was already on the move through the path, ducking her head down to keep herself low. Of course, her head was thick enough that she could probably bash her head against the rocky ceiling and be fine. Maybe she'd get a mark or two...but she shook her head. She was letting herself get distracted by her own thoughts. Reina just had to keep moving through the tunnel, even with the light forming behind her. Why couldn't the light be in front of her? It would make this so much easier as she stumbled her way through, finally spotting the cavern as she made her way through and stretched her arms. It was...nice not to be hunched over anymore.

Though she felt like something was watching her. Staring at her from the walls. It wasn't as if she could see it, but she could feel it. Something around her. What was she meant to do? It wasn't as if she'd be able to fight some kind of creature. She had wanted to put her weapons down, even for a little while. She had wanted to...

Her thoughts stopped at the sound of what sounded like a baby. Reina knew it was more than likely a trick. Some kind of illusion of this place...but the sound screamed at her. It insisted she moved. The main reason she had truly joined the Jedi was to better the future for the children of today...It's what Yvaine had made Reina realise. So before Reina even knew what she was doing, she was rushing off towards the sound. Reina couldn't remember the last time she ran like this, the whirring of her prosthesis echoing through as she made her way towards the winding crack, preparing to head down in that direction. It might have been a trick. It might not be real. But...the sound of a child crying spoke to Reina. It spoke to her heart.
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The cry came again. Thin. Fragile. Raw. It
came clearly from a narrow break in the stone up ahead — a path that dipped down and curled into deeper shadow. There was no doubt in the direction. The sound was constant now, soft but distinct. Crying. Always just around the bend.

And then—
from another direction — a sharp cry split the silence.

"Reina!"

A human voice, straining. Desperate. Drenched in pain and horror.

"Reina—help me!"

It came from a smaller passage tucked just behind her and to the right — one that curved steeply upward into darkness. The voice echoed once, then faded. But its tone lingered, as if etched into the stone itself.

It was Eve.

Not an echo. Not a trick of pitch.

Her voice, unmistakable in its pain and urgency. And very real.

Now the cave had stilled again, but the tension remained, like a taut rope drawn between two distant shores. The only movement was the subtle pulse of the Force in the air — a hush, a waiting.

Two voices.
Two directions.

No more echoes.

Just a choice.
And silence.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

Huffing and puffing, Reina kept running. Following the source of the crying as fast as she could, even as her lungs were screaming at her to stop. There was something strange about this cave. It felt harder for her to breath. As if the harder she pushed herself, the more she was exhausting herself...but that's when she heard her. Eve. Screaming for help and Reina skidded to a stop as her eyes went wide, the colour draining from her face.

Almost straight away, Reina changed direction, preparing to head off after Eve. It was like there was no hesitation, but before her next step hit the ground, she stopped once more. Her fists clenched as she tried to go over this in her head. Reina wanted to save Everest. No. It was more than that. Reina wanted Everest. Not to be a saviour, not as a friend. She did love Everest. With her entire heart. It's why this choice was next to impossible for her. She had to make a choice. She couldn't stay here.

What to do? What to do? Who needed her more? The baby's sobs echoing in Reina's mind, whilst the fear and pain in Everest's voice throbbed in Reina's chest. Who did she go for?! Who needed her...Who couldn't survive without her?

...That was how she made her choice. Turning on the heel of her foot to rush off after the sound of the baby crying. Tears were already starting to fall down Reina's cheeks as she moved. This felt like...a betrayal in her eyes. But...she justified it by believing that Everest didn't need Reina. Not truly. Everest had Azurine. Had Tigris. Had Valery. They might not be here...but she had them. Whereas this baby that needed help...Who knows who was there for it? And if no-one was going to be there for it...Reina would be there at least.

I'm sorry. I'm...so...so...sorry.

Tears streamed down her face, falling down to the ground as Reina gasped for air. Pushed herself harder and harder. She had made her choice. She'd have to live with it whether she liked it or not...Her entire life couldn't revolve around Everest...Not anymore. Her best friend's life was dedicated to someone else...and so Reina couldn't follow Everest around like some kind of lovesick puppy...
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The sound of the baby’s crying swelled, and the stone beneath Reina’s feet seemed to melt away. Not crumble — melt, like wax before a flame.

The cold grew sharper.

Then the ground tilted — violently. The air filled with salt and mist and the deafening crash of waves against hull.

Darkness shifted to moonlit rain, sharp and cold on her skin.

She was no longer in a cave.

She was on a ship, mid-storm.

The deck beneath her feet was slick, pitching hard with every massive roll of the ocean. Wind howled through the rigging. Lightning split the sky somewhere behind the mast, illuminating the figures ahead in flickers of ghostly white.

The crew clustered near the port side, leaning over the rail. Shouting. Faces twisted with urgency.

They were familiar — but not as she last remembered them. They were younger. Some just boys. Others still green in the way they carried themselves. All of them blurred by time.

The storm drowned out most sound, but as she stepped closer, one turned — a man she found strangely familiar, face full of fear and awe — and locked eyes with her.

He pointed into the sea.

"Captain! Look!"

And there — just beyond the ship — something floated in the black water.

A baby.

Small, wrapped in soaked cloth within a small cot that rocked violently on the waves.

It screamed.

Not in the helpless way infants often do — but like something being torn apart. The sound carried above the thunder. Desperate. Animal. Ancient.

The ocean tossed the child like driftwood. Each wave threatened to drag it under for good.

The crew did not move.

None of them reached for it. They only watched. Waiting.

"Captain?" came another voice to her side.

As lightning cracked again, the surface of the water glimmered — and beneath it, for just a second, something vast and formless moved. A presence. As though the ocean itself was alive — and watching too.

And the baby screamed again.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

Wait. She was on the ship? Reina blinked to herself for a moment, feeling the rock of the boat back and forth. Yet she also blinked for a moment, looking down at her clothes as they had seemed to change as well. It...reminded her of the Skipper. But she knew that wasn't possible. She never had any clothes like that. She barely even wore her typical fishing garb anymore. So to suddenly be in this outfit that was a surprise to be sure...but it was even more of a surprise when she saw one of the crew look at her and call her Captain. Wait...That wasn't Hacksaw was it?

And then they pointed off into the ocean, where Reina could see the child. She knew what was going on. This was meant to be her. How she was found. Just floating in the ocean, with the crew trying to get her out of the water. They had to get her with a net from what she was told. She had been the catch of the day. But these waves weren't like what she was told about...and whilst teh crew stood and watched, Reina was already tying rope around her waist all of a sudden, before chucking one end of the rope towards Hacksaw.

"Let go and I'll haunt your every moment."

And with that, she threw herself down into the ocean. Whatever was watching could watch. Reina wasn't going to leave the baby in the ocean. It might not even be her. She had figured out by this point...This wasn't real. Not truly. She wasn't saved by herself. She wasn't a Nautolan. No. She didn't even know what she was. Human? Echani? Did she have Ersanyr blood in her veins? None of that mattered as she swam for the baby, grabbing the cot before tugging on the rope to tell the crew to start pulling.
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The instant she hit the water, Reina would know—

It was not water.

Thicker than salt. Heavier than oil. It clung to her skin like tar, cold and unnatural, as though the ocean had curdled into something alive and resentful. It soaked into her clothes, her hair, her prosthetic — every inch of her weighed down, slowed, resisted.

And worse —

The rope dissolved.

Not snapped. Not yanked. Simply gone, unraveling behind her like it had never existed. One heartbeat it was taut in her grip, the next… fibres floating upward like smoke in reverse.

When she looked back —
the ship was gone.

Nothing but rolling black water behind her.
But for the briefest moment — in one blink of lightning across the clouds — a figure stood in its place.

An older version of herself.

Her face unreadable. Her eyes hollow. Red hair turning white. Her back slowly turning away.

Then she was alone.

And above her —
the baby screamed.

Its voice changed.

Twisting from helpless to something piercing.

Its eyes opened — glowing gold — locking onto her with uncanny recognition.

"YOU ABANDONED ME!"

The cry shattered something deep, and the sea answered.

A wave rose like a living wall. Black and towering.

It came down with the force of memory —
And dragged her under.

Down.
And down.
And down.

No light. No surface.

Just the pressure.
The cold.
The weight.

She could feel it — thick tar sliding into her lungs, coating her from the inside. Her breath burned. Every part of her ached as the whirlpool pulled her deeper, slow and relentless.

And through the darkness, the baby floated above, still visible. Still screaming.

She could reach—

But her limbs would refuse to move. Not because of the tar. Not entirely.

It was something else.

It was everything.

Eve’s voice, her easy love cutting through her heart.

Serina’s hand, cold and invasive.

The memory of a mirror she could never look into for long.

The ache of being wanted only when convenient.

The truth that she didn’t believe she deserved anything more.

All of it pressed in around her. Every weight she had ever carried was pulling her down now — not as chains, but as truths.

And through the murk, the question echoed —
Not from the sea, but from within:

"How can you save anyone, if you won't even save yourself?"

The baby was still there.

But Reina was sinking.

And a thousand eyes surrounded her in the blackness, watching for everything she had to offer.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

This wasn't the first time Reina had swam through the darkness. No. That day had been Woostri. The day she first encountered the Dark Side. And that other version of herself. The one she saw in the mirror. In her reflection. The voice in her head that had been so quiet recently. Had it been because Reina had accepted it as a part of herself? Because there was more Light in Reina's life now?

The rope was gone. Her life preserver. Her life line. She had made her choice as soon as she dove in. There hadn't been any hesitation. No second thought. And she couldn't afford them. Even now as she continued to try and push herself forward. Onwards to the baby...Where it changed. It twisted. Those eyes. Those damned eyes. It was the same she had always seen in that other version of herself. The one that had plagued her nightmares as Reina could feel herself sinking into the darkness, her arms unable to move.

The Light was fading. Fast. Reina could see the darkness creeping in around her. She wasn't sure if it was her own imagination or whatever was going on...but she could see that other version of herself. Just floating around her...No. It was swimming around her. Almost tauntingly so. As if to say that embracing the Darkness would help Reina to move. To swim upwards and save herself. That if she took a plunge into the oily depths, she would have the strength she needed to save herself and the child. With that smile. That constant smile that taunted Reina no matter where she tried to look, as she could feel the weight pressing in on her.

She wanted to gasp for air. She couldn't use the Force to improve her lungs. To form a bubble over her head to protect herself from the pressure pushing in on her. But she couldn't give up. She refused to. It wasn't who Reina was. She didn't quit. She kept fighting until she couldn't any longer even as she tried to move through the sludge. Was she even making any progress? She just had to reach her hand out, extending her fingers even more. It was almost at her fingertips. She had to save the baby. She had to save herself. Because that's what she was trying to do. To get out of the depths of darkness and get back into the Light.

"Aren't you going to answer the question?"

That other version. It's voice echoed through the darkness almost, as its glowing eyes settled on Reina. A smug grin spread across its twisted features. The potential future fate for Reina...It's question continued to echo within Reina's mind as she tried to figure out her own answer...before replying.

"Because...I rely on others. I trust in Grandmaster Valery. Master Colette. Master Issar. Everest. That they'll save me...when I can't. They'll keep me true to who I am...Now kark off!"
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The smile of the shadow lingered in the dark, curling with something that was not quite malice — but something close.

Mockery.
Sadness.
The threat of inevitability.

Then... silence.

The abyss pulsed around her, a pressure not just of water, but of everything she'd ever carried — guilt, failure, unworthiness. It pressed in on her lungs, her limbs, her heart. The baby drifted above, still screaming. Still so far.

Reina’s arms would not rise. Her body would not move.

And then —

a hand touched her back.

Another. On her shoulder.
Another. Gently brushing her prosthetic leg.

Not pulling her down — lifting her up.

One by one, they emerged from the darkness like stars returning to a night sky. Shadows at first, then clearer — faces.

Valery, her presence steady and fierce.

Colette, eyes determined and kind.

Issar, silent and vast, the spiral etched across his arms as he offered her balance without a word.

Azurine, battered but defiant, strength shared like a flame.

And Eve — radiant, soft, and solemn — reaching from within Reina’s heart rather than from without.

None of them spoke. But their presence sang to her.

Together, they pushed her upward, through the mire, through the pressure, through the tar and weight and pain, not saving her, but giving her the strength to save herself.

Her fingers broke the surface first.

Then her arms. Her chest. Her breath.

And then — she was no longer in the water.

* * *​

She hung in blinding white.

Not snow. Not fog. Not even light.

Just a vast, endless white.

Everything was gone. The ocean. The ship. The shadow. There was no movement, no noise. Only the soft rise and fall of her own breathing.

She might glance down. Or feel it first.

In her arms, a small weight. Warm.

A baby. The baby. Swaddled in cloth. Damp, but not crying. Sleeping, now. She was the radiant image of innocence, perfection, stillness and peace.

Its tiny head stirred. Slowly, it tilted upward. Little golden eyes blinked once — eyes she had seen before. They looked at her not in fear, nor in accusation. Just… curiosity.

Then her own voice — not from her mouth, but from the infant — spoke softly into the stillness:

"Do you... love me?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

She just had to break the surface. Even with the hands pushing upwards, letting Reina move herself forward, she had to break the surface of the Darkness and breathe. That's what was important alongside saving the child. Saving herself. She had to be able to breathe, even as her lungs were screaming for air, Reina refused to take in any of the darkness. She wasn't going to let any of it into her system. She already had her own darkness and wasn't going to let anymore in. She had enough of her own darkness, and that was enough for her.

And then she managed to get out of the water. And instead she was in a bright white light. There was a part of her that wondered if she was dead. This was the typical view for when someone had died right? A pure bright white light that surrounded you. Nothing else to be seen...but Reina was sure she hadn't died. Not yet at least. That was something that would come in the future, but not right now as she looked down at the infant in her arms...and hearing her own voice come out of it honestly took her aback. It was something that you'd expect to come from a nightmare but Reina didn't comment on that.

Did she love herself? That was the main question being asked. Reina had to think about that. She loved Everest, but she had left her to go and save the infant version of her own self. Love felt nice but it always hurt Reina. So could she love herself, knowing that it would hurt some day? Knowing that she'd wonder what the point of love was, even as it always hurt her in response? When she felt some days that she was replaceable by the people she loved? It was...hard for her to figure out an answer to that. She could lie...but she felt like it would know if she was lying.

"I...I don't hate you. And I don't...love you...but I can admire you. I can...respect you. For...everything you've went through. Everything you've survived..."
​

 

[Issar Rae’Velis]

Tag: Reina Daival

The child stirred faintly in Reina’s arms. It didn’t speak immediately. Just looked up at her, tiny, golden eyes blinking slowly, as if trying to memorise her face.

Then, he own voice came again.

"That is enough. And as for the rest, I will wait. Until you’re ready."

There was no disappointment in the tone. No sadness. Just gentleness, vast and patient, like the tide. The baby reached up, one hand pressing lightly to her chest.

Where it touched, warmth bloomed — not a rush, not a flare, but a quiet glow that spread outward through her ribs, her breath, her shoulders. The warmth didn’t push anything away. It simply opened a space that had long been shut.

And then —

Darkness.

For a moment, she saw nothing.

But then—

Light.

Visions came like waves. Quick, fleeting, but impossibly vivid. Herself laughing, full-throated and shameless, sitting with Eve and Colette and Azzie, crammed together on a too-small couch under a blanket during a movie night, popcorn scattered.

Herself running on a beach, sunlight on wet hair, splashing into the surf, dragging Eve into the shallows with a grin that split her whole face.

Herself cooking in a tiny kitchen, sleeves rolled up, messy and barefoot, humming to herself. Someone’s arms wrap around her from behind.

Herself sitting alone, but not lonely, sipping a drink under the shade of a tree — just watching the world turn with peace in her eyes.

Each scene lasted only a second. But together, they formed something undeniable:

She was happy.

And over all of it:
The sound of gulls.
The shoreline, rolling gently.
And the wind, back again, at last, brushing her cheek like an old friend.

Then... the visions vanished.

The wind fell still.
The gulls faded.

And when Reina next opened her eyes —

She was back.

The cave.
Cold stone. Dim light.
Silence.

The sea was gone.
The child was gone.

And the soft light streaming back from the entrance to the cave, awaiting her return.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Issar Rae’Velis

All of those visions. Those experiences. They were things Reina wanted to experience. Wanted to live through. Would she ever get to go through them? She hoped at least. But that was all they were. Hopes. Dreams. But that was all she needed to do to keep moving forward. She had to believe in herself more than anything. Believe that she did have a future. She wasn't living on borrowed time like she had always believed. Reina just sighed to herself as she closed her eyes for a moment, before coming back to reality. Back to the cave as she took in a few steady breaths, folding her arms along her front and she slowly made her way back towards the entrance.

She could have told Issar everything that had happened. Talked about everything she had saw and experienced...but this was her memory to hold onto. It wasn't something for her to tell other. It was her own test. Not someone else's. Even if Issar had more than likely went through his own version of this trial, Reina wouldn't speak about hers. She didn't need to talk about it. She was here. She was still moving. Reina just gave a short nod towards Issar. She knew how important silence could be now as she proceeded to leave back down with Issar...and the climb down was going to be an enjoyable one, as Reina felt like she had so little weight on her shoulder.
​