Book One – Chapter 9

The unexpected arrival of the Vicha disrupted Yves’ plans, leaving him insufficient time to conclude his research in the lighthouse, even with the limited tomes he possessed. Despite the strain of their journey to the human habitat and through the Northlands plateau, he had felt a flicker of anticipation to see the lighthouse again. It was his refuge. It was broken and not beautiful, but it still stood. It could no longer send out light for the desperate and the daring that were lost at sea or desert, however, it still beheld the lights casted within its rooms. Over the years, Yves had transformed it into a place of his own making. Even though it offered not a comfortable life, it offered comfort. It was centre of calm amidst the everlasting storms that plagued hundreds of kilometres of monster-ridden desert coast — the first place Yves thought of when contemplating the concept of home.

His initial plan had been to stay for weeks, not mere days. Following that, he had intended to travel together with Midnight, not split up. That was all before the encounter with the Stalker, before sealing the tunnel. Back then, Yves had believed that he had at least five to six, perhaps even another seven years to somehow figure everything out before going blind.

He had even felt a sense of optimism, observing the strides he made in controlling his mirror world form. A year ago, during his renewed audience with the witch mother, he had genuinely believed that he could fulfil their arrangement — she had at last disclosed the third challenge. Her demand involved the pursuit of the elusive Crystalline Trench, a challenge that had initially led Yves and Midnight to the central Northlands. For a diverse array of reasons, they ended up gathering research from the human habitat. And as a result of what they found, Yves had decided to persuade the Crimson Baerras to take them to sea.

If they succeeded in locating and gathering the crystals from the Trench, and if Yves then completed the witch mother’s second demand in the Mirror Dimension, she would restore his eyes. Despite everything, this … had not changed. In the midst of losing sight of the present, he needed to envision this future.

Yves struggled back to his feet, then onto the sled. He pressed forward; the moons and stars gone, and the darkness ever closer.