Ignis' First Firesday of Harvestfall, 1442, Trail to the Whispering Wilds, Stonereach.

"Come on, Kaelyn," Vaelith said, her voice warm and light as it broke the silence. "The city's not getting any closer."

Kaelyn blinked, watching Vaelith striding toward the eastern trail, her silver hair catching the last rays of sunlight. With a sigh, Kaelyn adjusted her grip on her staff and followed. She slowed down somewhat as she took stock of the sweeping view of the surrounding landscape. The hills of the Whispering Wilds sprawled out in the distance, grasses rippling like fur bristling with life. Rivers snaked between them like veins, feeding life into the endless green. Wisps of smoke rose in tangled columns, marking the city's location beyond the rolling hills.

Kaelyn caught up, then matched Vaelith's gait, and glanced sideways at her. She looked otherworldly against the fading light, all silver and motion.

For a while, they walked in silence, broken only by the crunch of gravel beneath their boots and the occasional whisper of the wind brushing past their ears. Kaelyn felt the weight of the day pressing on her—her limbs heavy, her tail dragging slightly behind her. She cast another glance at Vaelith, who seemed lost in thought. Her fins shifted ever so slightly with each gust of wind.

Vaelith shot the felinae a quick glance. "Something's… off about you today," she said, her tone cautious but probing.

Kaelyn held back a laugh.

There's an understatement.

Her thoughts wandered back to yesterday, to the market plaza, the dance, the scheming. It felt like another life entirely. She remembered the scene vividly. But guilt about what she had been thinking about back then haunted her today. She had planned to exploit Vaelith, to make herself indispensable. Everything so she could ride the coattails of her popularity. It felt like someone else entirely had been at the wheel. She remembered it all, but it felt detached—like watching a puppet act on her behalf.

In many ways, I was a different person yesterday. It's wild thinking about it.

Kaelyn had been entirely in charge. Memories of her actions were vivid in her mind, yet she knew that none of it was truly her doing.

"Yeah," she said, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know about you, but yesterday feels like a lifetime ago."

She kept her answer vague on purpose. It was not a lie, either. Today had been more eventful than she had expected. The news reporter, the interview, her conversation with her parents. And then the call with Megan—

That's when things changed.

Everything shifted after that, though she could not quite explain why. It had felt... raw, exposing something she was not ready to face.

Vaelith gave Kaelyn a sidelong glance, her amethyst eyes narrowing slightly. "Busy day today? Me too," she said, her voice calm but tinged with curiosity. "What you told me yesterday… It stuck with me, you know? I admired you. I wondered if I could ever be as confident as you were then. You were... bolder. More assertive. More... real."

Kaelyn winced internally.

More real, huh? If only you knew the 'real' me…

Yesterday had been all Kaelyn—the confidence, the calculated moves, the manipulations. Today, it was only Ryan. And she felt... smaller. Less polished, but more honest. The gap between the two personas felt like a chasm. She forced a smile, her tail swishing lazily behind her. Humour was a shield. And right now, she needed a tower shield. "What, you think I'm just a flicker? A shadow on the wall?" Kaelyn teased, her expression light—but with a sharp edge hard to miss.

Vaelith shook her head, her long hair almost rippling from the motion, reflecting the light of the sun in a mesmerising fashion. Her fins twitched, betraying some undercurrent of unease. "Don't…" Vaelith's gaze flicked to Kaelyn, then back. "Don't deflect. Sorry for being nosy; you've been quieter, like you're holding something back. I don't know? Maybe I'm imagining it. But if not, maybe I can help?"

Kaelyn's ears perked up, betraying her discomfort. Vaelith was not wrong. She was holding back. But not the way she thought. Kaelyn, the real Kaelyn, had gone mostly silent, leaving him adrift. It was strange, like walking onstage with no lines, no rehearsal, and now she, the current Kaelyn—the impostor—had to grapple with a tangle of emotions not of her own making. "Maybe I'm just tired," she said lightly, forcing a faint smile. "The fight really drained me." Her voice wavered just enough to sound convincing, but she could feel the tension beneath it, ready to snap if pressed further.

Vaelith hummed in agreement, her gaze shifting to the horizon. "It was, yes," she said softly. "But this started long before the last battle," Vaelith said, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Ever since you showed up at Tidebreaker Watch, you've been... different. You don't talk the same way, don't move the same way. It's like... I don't know. Like you're not the same person anymore. Like you let an older sibling log in on your account—But that wouldn't work, right? You can't share a single character between players, can you?"

Upon hearing the question, Kaelyn wondered about such restrictions. She knew the account was not tied to a physical device. If it had, she would not have been able to play from the rig in her parent's basement. It was probably tied to her profile instead. And Kaelyn—the other Kaelyn—did not have a profile of her own.

After a short pause, Vaelith continued, "I'm not imagining it," her voice was softer now, but no less insistent. "The Kaelyn I met... she was fierce, unshakable. She made me feel like I could be brave, too. Now, it's like you're hiding. From me, from everyone. What happened to you?"

Kaelyn's steps faltered slightly, her tail flicking in irritation. Vaelith was more perceptive than she gave her credit for, and it was making it harder to dodge the conversation. She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Time for me to channel my best imitation…

She recalled Kaelyn's words from yesterday. "The best lies are wrapped in layers of truths."

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"Look, niña," she said, her tail looping lazily behind her, all practiced indifference. "I just haven't had the energy to be... that person today. I've been stuck in my head, you know? Mulling things over, trying to make sense of it all." She shrugged, forcing the words to sound casual, even as her pulse quickened.

Vaelith tilted her head, her fins fluttering with curiosity. "Want to talk about it? What things?"

Kaelyn hesitated, her grip tightening on her staff until her knuckles whitened. How could she explain the other voice in her head, the way it felt like she was living two lives at once? Would Vaelith understand—or would she think she was crazy? She swallowed hard, forcing the words to come out. "It's... too much to explain," she said lamely. "Yesterday, I was having fun in the game, drawing the spotlight to myself, being the centre of attention. But today, I don't know? I'm happy being a bit more anonymous." She paused. "I guess you… haven't watched the news today?" she asked, trying to sound casual. The thought of the broadcast made her stomach twist—was Vaelith oblivious, or was she just being polite?

Vaelith slowed her pace, shaking her head. "No… I was busy with… other things. There wasn't really an opportunity," she explained. "I just… didn't think it mattered." Her words felt as fragile as they sounded, as if she were tiptoeing around something unspoken. "You don't have to go into details or tell me everything, but if something's bothering you... you can talk to me, you know."

Kaelyn blinked, surprised. She was not used to this—people offering her kindness without expecting something in return. It was unsettling, almost disarming. For a moment, she thought about telling Vaelith everything: the voice, the shifts, the way she felt like a stranger in her own skin.

But then Vaelith added, quiet and hesitant. She glanced down at her feet for just a moment, strands of silver hair falling before her eyes. "Because... if I'm being honest—" she paused, tucking it away. "—today has been a lot for me, too." Her fins twitched, betraying the calm mask she was trying to keep in place.

That's a lot to share with someone you barely know… You're too trusting, Vaelith.

Kaelyn tilted her head, her ears perking up. "Yeah? What's going on?" she asked, softer this time.

Vaelith hesitated, her gaze dropping to the ground. She toyed with the amethyst pendant around her neck, her fingers brushing the smooth surface as if seeking comfort. "Like... what's happening to me," she said finally.

Kaelyn's brows furrowed, her tail stilling as she watched the smaller girl. "What do you mean?" she asked, filled with a mix of concern and curiosity.

Vaelith let out a shaky breath, her shoulders curling inward as though bracing against something unseen. "In real life," she said, trembling, her words barely above a whisper. "Things are... getting worse. My body is. It frightens me to log back out to deal with it."

Kaelyn felt her heart clench, the words hitting far too close to home.

Vaelith, are you going through the same thing I am?

For the first time, she wondered if she was not as alone in this as she thought. That should have been comforting—but it made her stomach twist. What if neither of them had answers? She stepped closer and asked gently, "Wait, you're serious? Can you tell me about it?"

"I…" Vaelith shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulders. "It would all sound like crazy talk, if I tried to explain. I could barely walk straight today," she said, her voice raw with frustration. "My boss told me to see a doctor. Maybe they'd run tests, poke and prod until they found something. But I knew what they'd find—they wouldn't understand. They couldn't—not with what's happening to me. Not with how my body feels... like it's withering away."

Kaelyn's tail jerked sideways, and after a moment of hesitation, she stepped closer and rested a hand lightly on Vaelith's shoulder. The fabric of her cloak was soft under her fingers, but beneath it, she could feel the faint tremble of Vaelith's body. "Hey," she said as softly as her touch. "I'm sorry. That sounds... terrifying."

"It is," Vaelith nodded, her fins trembling. "And the worst part is I don't know how much time I have before... before it takes over. Before it gets even worse."

Kaelyn's ears flattened, and an unfamiliar surge of protectiveness rose in her chest, sharp and sudden. It caught her off guard—she was not used to caring this much about anyone outside of herself. But looking at Vaelith now, with her bitter laugh and glistening eyes, something inside her hardened. "Vaelith... why didn't you say anything before?"

Vaelith gave a small, bitter laugh, her violet eyes glistening. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hi, nice to meet you. By the way, my body's breaking down and no one knows why?'" Her voice cracked on the last word, and she shook her head, her fins flicking in agitation. "People don't want to hear that. They don't want to deal with it. I didn't want to deal with it."

Kaelyn frowned, her hand tightening slightly on Vaelith's shoulder. "Then don't say it like that," she said softly. "Does Elyssia or Leoric know? Have you told anyone else? I'd like to help, but I don't know what I can do…"

"No, not really." Vaelith glanced at her, her expression softening. "I don't really know how to lean on others."

"I understand… I think." Kaelyn lowered her head. "I'm going through something weird of my own. I don't know what to do or who to talk to about it."

Vaelith blinked, worry clear on her face. "You too? Really?" she asked. "I'm here, if you need an ear. Or a fin."

Kaelyn opened her mouth, the words hovering on the edge of her tongue. She wanted to say "I'd like to" but the thought of sharing it all—of letting Vaelith see the truth—made her hesitate.

What if she doesn't understand? What if she's afraid of me?

Ryan felt the shift before it happened, a cold wave washing over him. That moment—barely a breath—was all the other Kaelyn needed. Just like that, she stepped in. Assertive. Absolute. Her presence sharp and unyielding.

Hey, wait—what are you doing?

He panicked, tried to speak up, to ask Vaelith for help, but he was no longer in control of his own body. Kaelyn did not want Vaelith's help.

That's far enough, chico.

Kaelyn's knuckles whitened. She could not do this—not now. Not when she still had not sorted out what was real and what was not. Vaelith's questions, her concern, the way her voice softened when she asked them to open up—it was too much. Too dangerous.

A nervous bite of her lip betrayed a moment of uncertainty, quickly replaced by a bold, self-assured expression. "Some things are better left unsaid, cariño. Trust me on that," she said, her tone light but dismissive. A twitch in her eye betrayed the effort it took to keep Ryan down. She smiled anyway—perfect, easy, fake.

Vaelith's steps slowed, her fins flicking uncertainly. She stared at Kaelyn's back, her mouth opening as if to speak—but the words never came. Instead, she brushed the amethyst pendant again, her fingers trembling slightly. "You don't have to shut me out," she said, almost too quietly for Kaelyn to hear. But not quietly enough.

The taller girl continued on the path forward, her steps quick and precise, as if she were on a mission. Kaelyn glanced over her shoulder, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Don't get all misty-eyed on me, niña," she said, her tone light but her pace relentless. "We've got places to be."

Vaelith hesitated for a moment, her fins flicking uncertainly, before following in silence.

Kaelyn's steps were quick and deliberate. Her ears flicked backward ever so slightly, betraying the tension she refused to acknowledge. She could feel Vaelith's gaze on her back, but she did not turn around. If she did, she was not sure she could keep the mask in place. And as she walked away, Ryan's accusations echoed faintly in Kaelyn's mind, raw with frustration.

What are you hiding? From me? You can't just take over whenever you want! That's not how this works!

Kaelyn smiled—a slow, knowing curve of her lips.

How do you know this is not how it's supposed to work?

The wind caught her blonde hair and the hem of her robe. She followed the motion down, pausing on the neckline she wore so confidently.

You know, I'm still surprised you agreed to wear this. Not that I disapprove. But you and I? We've got unfinished business, gatita. Let's have a long chat, just the two of us, before we go around spilling the beans, yes?

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