The Erdtree's radiance dimmed—then went out.
Every living being in the Lands Between could feel it, no matter where they were.
All Grace receded. In an instant, everyone became Tarnished. The ambitious, the rebels sharpening their blades, the heroes who dreamed of a throne—every one of them was left utterly at a loss before this sudden post-Erdtree era.
Morgott stayed behind in the royal capital of Leyndell. He said he had a dream: that people would stop discriminating against Omen children—because they were no longer a cursed, abandoned lot. It was time to leave the sewers. Skyl handed him a phone so they could keep in touch, and told him they could meet up again when there was time.
After leaving Leyndell, Skyl's first stop was Limgrave—where the dream had begun.
"Ah, what beautiful scenery." Skyl was quite satisfied with the Lands Between. Compared to the worlds in Hidetaka Miyazaki's other Souls-like games, this place could practically be called the brightest, most "alive" one of them all: plenty of light, and vegetation everywhere.
He shared a few landscape photos of Limgrave on his phone.
That was when Onmund called him.
"What's up?"
Onmund started pouring out his woes. "The Dragonborn has learned every spell I know. Now he pesters me every day to teach him new magic."
At first glance, it gave off the exact vibe of a middle-aged man trembling at the thought of having to "pay his marital dues."
"Even an amnesiac idiot studies harder than you, Onmund. Have some shame."
"Mage Skyl, I want to recommend the Dragonborn for membership in the Tower of Tomes."
"His identity is special." Skyl rejected the suggestion. "He can be an external member of the Tower of Tomes and join the College. Have him pick a house in Winterhold. If Winterhold faces dragon attacks in the future, it'll need a hero like him to deal with it."
Onmund's voice sank. "The dragons in Skyrim are becoming more and more active. Mage Skyl… once spring comes, the land is bound to burn."
"Have the College prepare to take in refugees. Winterhold will shelter everyone. Just inform Mage Brelyna about this."
While on the call, Skyl strolled to the edge of a cliff and looked out over the land beneath the sunset. Limgrave was full of soldiers who looked like they'd lost their souls. After losing Grace, they seemed to lose their will to fight as well—sitting on the ground in numb silence. He even saw a Tree Sentinel in heavy golden armor, facing the Erdtree's direction… and taking its own life.
The knight's blood-soaked remains sounded a voiceless horn, heralding the fact that the history of the Lands Between had stepped fully into a new age.
Skyl let out a soft sigh.
"What is it, Mage Skyl?"
"Nothing. What have you been up to lately?"
"I'm planning to return to the College and study for a while. The Dragonborn has grown up, and he's made new friends. I don't need to protect him anymore—now it's his turn to protect the people."
"Mm. Then come back." Skyl lowered his head and smiled. "How about meeting in Winterhold in a couple days?"
And just like that, they set the date.
Skyl stayed in the Lands Between for more than three months. Only when the O.W.L.s were drawing near did he return to World I.
That night, after finishing the call, he met a woman leading a horse.
She stepped through the thin fog of night, avoiding roving soldiers and bandits, until she reached Skyl.
The warm campfire lit their faces.
The woman knelt, lowered her hood, and revealed a delicate young face. Firelight danced across her short pink hair, and for no reason at all, Skyl thought of jellyfish in the deep sea. Her left eye was sealed shut by a strange claw-shaped sigil. That one-eyed imbalance did nothing to tarnish her beauty.
"Wandering Tarnished. You seem to be alone. Without a witch at your side." Her expression was calm and earnest—like a cold, stiff log of firewood.
"Yeah." Skyl held a pretty glass marble up before his eye, watching the flickering campfire through it like a child stargazing, his voice drifting. "Aren't you lonely too?"
"I have Torrent as company."
Torrent was the horse she was holding. It wasn't tall, nor was it particularly majestic. Its coat was thick, almost like a yak's, and it even had two horns on its head. Its eyes blinked and shimmered; when it noticed Skyl looking, it snorted and gave him a little nod.
"So what do you want with me?"
"I am Melina. I've come to make a trade with you."
"Then go on."
"Have you heard of the Finger Maidens? They serve the Two Fingers and guide the Tarnished. You have no maiden at your side. I can take their place—turning runes into your strength. If you desire the Elden Ring, this will surely help you. In exchange, I want you to take me to the foot of the Erdtree."
Skyl looked at her and smiled. "The Erdtree is already rotting. All Grace has dimmed. What are you going to do there?"
"Precisely because of that… I need even more to find the reason."
"The reason is that someone defeated the beast within the Erdtree and stole the core of the Golden Order."
"You know the truth behind this?"
"Yeah. I know all of it." Skyl found it amusing. It was like he'd killed the final boss right at the start of the game, then wandered around the tutorial area on a max-level character—absurdly overpowered, ridiculously satisfying, and with that delicious thrill of a remixed plotline. Was this what a second playthrough felt like? Exactly. Perfect.
Melina fell silent for a moment, then spoke with careful seriousness. "I want to know who stole the law."
"So you don't want to go to the Erdtree anymore? The terms change to learning a secret, right?"
"Yes. I will fulfill the duties of a Finger Maiden."
Skyl shook his head. "You don't need to fulfill anything. I'll give you that secret for free. The one who defeated the Elden Beast was me. The one who took the core of the law was also me."
Melina's lips parted slightly. The way she stared, dumbstruck, left Skyl quite satisfied.
For a long, long time after that, there was only the crackling whisper of the campfire—its flames dancing as red, ember-bright butterflies fluttered through the heat.
The night dew grew colder. Skyl had no intention of seeking shelter; he lay back in the grass and stared up at the heavens.
The oldest magic of the Lands Between had been born from studying the stars.
Melina still crouched beside him, quiet as ever.
"Your duty is to become kindling and set the Erdtree ablaze, isn't it?"
Skyl suddenly spoke, his tone filled with nostalgia. He was remembering his days playing Elden Ring—the kind of game that made you forget to eat and sleep, the kind of ordinary life you stole in the cracks between busyness. But World I's era was still too old; even if Skyl wanted to relive those days, it just wasn't quite there.
"You know my origin. Who exactly are you?" Melina's voice always seemed to stay on the same note, betraying no emotion—yet right now, she truly was anxious and unsettled.
"I'm Skyl. A wizard." Skyl said softly. "Melina, sometimes you have to believe in meetings arranged by fate. I returned to Limgrave this morning. And now that night has fallen, you appeared here too. I saw an opportunity—an opportunity to save a regret I once had while playing that game."
"…"
Skyl rolled over and sat up. He stared at Melina, an uncomplicated, delighted smile on his face. "I know you. Not completely—but I know you. I know your mission. I know your fate. I know you'll quietly accompany the Tarnished through battle after battle, defeating one powerful enemy after another, until the day you become kindling and ignite the Giants' Flame. You'll hide your death. You'll leave without saying goodbye, as if all the hardships we went through together were just a joke. I hate you for being such a block of wood."
"…" Her expression was sheer confusion.
"I used to be a nobody. Faced with tragedy, all I could do was sympathize in silence. All I could do was laugh at myself." Skyl's voice sharpened. "But now, I can scream at those tragic, fate-bound scripts that once stabbed through my mortal heart: fuck you! No!"
Skyl leaned closer. Melina tilted back slightly, but her balance remained steady.
Their eyes—no, three eyes—met.
Skyl's eyes were bright, carrying a kind of innocence and childlike wonder you rarely saw in adults, carrying a strange and fervent love. He said, "I don't want to see you burn again. I want to give you a complete life!"
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