Arthur was running as fast as possible, his feet practically exploding off the ground with each powerful stride. For the first time in days, genuine hope blazed in his bloodshot eyes. The temple ahead meant protection from the insidious whispers of the roses—and that meant being able to finally, mercifully sleep.
His body was beginning to falter under the strain of constant vigilance. The days had grown impossibly long with his unending battle to not only avoid the roses' mental influence but also fight the bone-deep lethargy that consumed him like a disease. Every step had become a negotiation with his failing body, a promise that rest would come soon if he could just keep moving.
The temple was growing closer with every desperate lunge forward. It was much smaller than the previous one he'd encountered, which confirmed Arthur's suspicion that the first had been the central temple—the largest one in this area. This structure before him was a simple square stone edifice with intricate carvings etched into its weathered surface. Four stone pillars stood sentinel on each side, framing an open archway in the middle that led into darkness within.
The carvings seemed to tell stories of ancient battles, though Arthur couldn't spare the concentration needed to decipher them.
Arthur was approaching fast, ready to blow past the archway and collapse inside the sanctuary, but as he got close, the hopeful smile on his face vanished like morning mist, replaced by a mask of apprehension as he came to an abrupt, crushing stop. His expression twisted with worry as he instinctively summoned his sword, the weapon materializing in his hand with a flash of ethereal light.
'There's something in there. I can sense it.'
Arthur could feel the presence of something lingering inside the temple. His dark sense ability—a power he was still coming to understand—didn't just function at night. If there was a completely dark area anywhere within his sensory radius, he could detect anything inside it with preternatural awareness. It didn't matter how small or still. If someone merely stepped on his shadow during the brightest, sunniest day, he would feel it instantly. So in this small stone temple where only darkness dwelled, he could sense the presence perfectly.
Whatever lurked within was a tainted beast. If he had to guess, probably a Grimhound. He wouldn't be surprised if these creatures made homes out of the abandoned temples to escape whatever—or whoever—had been slaughtering them throughout the Rose Field. The evidence of their deaths had been scattered across his path for days now—corpses killed cleanly by something with terrible strength and precision.
Arthur's hands shook around the grip of his sword, the blade catching the light of the merciless sun overhead. He was scared... so terribly scared. He didn't want to fight anymore, but he didn't have a choice. If he didn't get some sleep soon, he would eventually become consumed by the roses' whispers and die anyway. An impossible choice: face the beast or surrender to the field.
The roses behind him seemed to sense his moment of weakness, their whispers growing louder, more insistent. Turn back, they seemed to say. Rest among us. Let go of your struggles.
Arthur took a deep breath and gripped his sword tighter, the trembling in his hands subsiding slightly as determination overrode his fear. He moved forward, one slow, deliberate step after another as he closed in on the archway. His enhanced senses strained to detect any movement from within the darkened interior.
Now standing mere feet from the temple entrance, Arthur was trying his best to mentally prepare his sporadic mind for the coming battle when suddenly, an unexpected sound reached his ears. At first, he thought he was hearing things—which wouldn't be that odd considering his fragile mental state—but after focusing, he was certain that whatever he was hearing was real.
'Humming?'
Someone around the temple was humming a simple, almost familiar melody. Arthur's brows furrowed in confusion as he realized this sound was not coming from inside the temple but from behind it. His dark sense would have told him if the humming originated from within, as he would have felt the vibrations disturbing the darkness, but he detected nothing of the sort.
The melody itself stirred something in Arthur's memory—a tune from his childhood, perhaps? Before he'd been chosen, before his life had been torn from his hands.
Arthur paused his charge into the temple and slowly, cautiously made his way around to its back side, maintaining a firm grip on his sword and holding his breath in anticipation. The crunch of his boots against the gravelly soil seemed thunderous in his ears as he tried to move silently.
'Is there a human here?' his mind raced frantically. '...Is it the same one that's been killing those Grimhounds? Are they friendly?...I guess there's only one way to find out.'
Arthur arrived at the final corner of the weathered stone walls and swallowed nervously, his throat dry from days without water. He gathered what little courage remained in his exhausted body and slowly turned to see the source of the humming.
When he did, Arthur became frozen in place, as though the very blood in his veins had turned to ice. His sword would have clattered to the ground in shock if not for it being a soul weapon—instead, it simply dissipated in a shimmer of darkness as his concentration shattered. He stood there, jaw slack, eyes wide with disbelief at the figure before him.
"...L-Luke!?"
The name escaped his lips as barely more than a whisper, carrying with it a complex tangle of emotions—shock, confusion, relief, and something deeper that Arthur couldn't quite name in his exhausted state..
The figure continued humming, apparently unaware of Arthur's presence—or perhaps choosing to ignore it. The familiar face turned slightly, catching the light of the midday sun, and for an instant, Arthur thought he saw something strange—a flicker of something inhuman behind those once-familiar eyes. But just as fast as it appeared it vanished and soon Luke had the same dumbstruck look on his face as Arthur "A-Arthur!?"