Noir looked at Valeria and Celeste, his eyes filled with wonder and hope.
"Really? I can go adventuring with the both of you?"
Celeste smiled warmly, stepping closer.
"Of course! After all, isn't it your dream to begin your own adventure?"
She leaned in slightly, her voice gentle and encouraging.
"What say you, Noir?"
He hesitated. The promise of the unknown pulled at him like gravity, but the thought of leaving his grandfather behind weighed heavy on his heart.
"What… what about Grandpa?" he asked, his voice small.
The old man, standing nearby with hands folded behind his back, gave a soft, knowing smile.
"Don't worry about me, child. I've lived my journey. You're still young, with roads untrodden ahead of you. Go and seek what has yet to be found. The world doesn't wait."
His voice was calm, brimming with pride rather than sorrow.
Noir's throat tightened. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded.
"I understand… thank you, Grandpa."
He stepped forward and embraced the old man tightly, burying his face in his shoulder like he had done when he was younger.
"There, there," the old man said, gently stroking Noir's hair. "May the gods guide your path, and may your scheme be forever concealed."
Noir didn't fully understand the meaning of the last part, but the words comforted him.
The old man pulled away slowly and gave a nod.
"Now, rest. Tomorrow is the beginning of something greater than you know. You'll need your strength."
Noir nodded, then looked over his shoulder one last time as he turned toward his room.
"I'll become a great adventurer… and follow the path Father once took. Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you for giving me this gift."
With that, he walked into his room, quietly closing the door behind him.
Celeste and Valeria exchanged a look, then took to their own sleeping spaces. The quiet hum of the countryside night embraced the home as everyone drifted into slumber.
The first light of dawn crept through the windows, casting golden beams across the wooden floors. A gentle breeze carried the scent of earth and morning dew, rustling the last of the fallen leaves as night surrendered to the embrace of day.
Valeria stood outside, securing the final straps of her pack. The wind tugged at her cloak.
"Alright. Everything checks out. It's time to depart," she said, turning to face Celeste and Noir.
Celeste smiled and slung her pack over her shoulder.
"Noir?"
The boy stood still, facing the small farmhouse. His eyes lingered on the windows, the fields, the barn, all familiar, all home. Memories surged: mornings spent chasing chickens, evenings listening to his grandfather's stories, the warmth of soup on cold days.
He clenched his fists. Then he nodded.
"I'm alright… We can go now."
Valeria gave him a quiet nod of approval. Celeste reached out and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
And just like that, the three set off.
Their boots met the dusty road with resolve, the morning sun casting long shadows behind them. With the Tablet of Prophecy in Celeste's pack and a spark of destiny in their hearts, they walked toward a future written in uncertainty, but inked with hope.
Each step was a page turned.
Noir looked over his shoulder one last time. The farmhouse had already grown smaller behind them, the rising sun illuminating the horizon ahead.
This is the beginning, he thought. The world… is finally opening to me.
Valeria, always ahead, kept her eyes fixed on the path. Celeste, walking beside Noir, grinned.
"Remember, this isn't just our journey anymore. It's yours too. We face it together."
He smiled in return, the nerves in his chest now replaced with a strange sense of courage.
And so, the Adventure Party was born. Not out of convenience, not from fate alone, but from shared conviction.
Three souls, each driven by a different past, now walking the same road toward a future yet to be written.
This is their story, one foretold by prophecy, shaped by choice, and remembered by those who dare to dream.
The tale of Celeste, Valeria, and Noir.
The story written not with ink… but with the blood of its author.
[—To Be Continued—]