At dawn, a soft golden light filtered through the trees. I was barely awake when a small crystalline laugh made me open my eyes.
Cassandre, sitting down, was watching me with a mischievous smile.
— So, Sovereign of the night, how do you feel after your reign?
I let out a groan, burying my face in my arms.
— Exhausted… you wore me out more than the battle did.
She burst out laughing and leaned toward me, her long hair brushing my skin.
— Oh? Yet last night, you looked like an invincible warrior… I quote: "I'm unstoppable, Cassandre!"
I rolled onto my back with a dramatic sigh.
— You're twisting my words.
— Not at all, she replied, fluttering her lashes innocently. Oh, and also: "Get ready for a legendary night."
I covered my face with my arm while she giggled, clearly delighted to tease me.
— I was under the effect of adrenaline.
Cassandre tilted her head, pretending to think.
— Or under my effect?
I gave her a mock offended look.
— You're way too proud of yourself.
She laughed again, then lay against me, nestling her face in the crook of my neck.
— Maybe… but admit it, it was a beautiful victory.
I slid a hand into her hair with a soft smile.
— Yes… the most beautiful of all.
After a wake-up filled with teasing and tenderness, we had to get a bit more serious. The beast we had defeated the day before lay somewhere in the forest, and there was no way we were leaving without recovering what we could.
Cassandre walked beside me, nearly skipping across the dew-damp ground.
— Well, let's try not to get attacked by another horror today, she said, casting me a playful glance. I doubt you're ready for another fight that intense.
I gave her a sidelong look.
— If you keep going, I'll end up thinking you really want to test my limits.
She burst out laughing, then raised her hands in a peace gesture.
— Okay, okay, I'll be quiet… For five minutes, maybe.
We eventually reached the beast's corpse. Its massive body still bore the marks of our fight, and a pungent smell hung in the air.
— Ugh… Smells like victory, but mostly like carrion, Cassandre remarked, wrinkling her nose.
I exhaled as I pulled out a dagger.
— Come on, time to work. Let's see what we can salvage.
She watched my movements curiously, then crouched beside me.
— You think we can do something with these claws? A dagger? Some amulets? Or maybe a very… original decoration for our future home?
I raised an eyebrow.
— Our home?
Cassandre shrugged, a smirk on her lips.
— Oh, just saying…
I couldn't help but smile back before getting back to work. Despite the smell and fatigue, this mission tasted like victory, and strangely, the future seemed more and more promising.
We decided to stay a few days here.
I wanted to test something.
For some time, an idea for a profession had been growing inside me. It was time to experiment.
I began to skin the tiger carefully, setting aside the meat. My goal wasn't its skin or bones, but its tendons. I extracted them from along its legs, making sure not to damage them, then let them dry for several days in the sun. Once hardened, I rubbed them, softened them, and twisted them. Several attempts were needed before I got two solid strings.
While they dried, I worked on the tiger's canines. With patience, I pulled them out and meticulously hollowed them with my claws. The work was long and demanding, but little by little, they took the shape I wanted.
Finally, all the elements were ready.
I threaded the strings through the teeth and tightened the knots precisely. When I was done, I examined the result: two necklaces made with my own hands.
Curious, I activated my Identification on them.
Identification (Adept) – Name: Sovereign's Necklace | Rank: ??? | An artifact crafted from the tendons and a fang of a fearsome Xylorath Tiger. Imbued with the aura of the defeated predator, it grants its wearer a natural authority over tigers, forcing them to obey their will.
Ding!
You have acquired the profession [Artificer]!
I jumped in joy.
— FINALLYYYYYY A PROFESSION! I shouted, heart pounding with excitement.
Beside me, Cassandre burst out laughing, just as happy as I was. Her gaze shone with pride and affection.
— Amazing! I'm so happy for you! she said with a radiant smile.
Without waiting, she threw herself into my arms, fully sharing my euphoria.
That tiger… it had definitely left me with more than just scars.
First, I had gained an entire level.
Then, my title [Tutorial Pioneer] had evolved into [Tutorial Sovereign].
And finally… this profession. It was real. It was my profession.
I was so happy! A shiver of excitement ran through me as I fully realized what it meant. Everything I had done, all my efforts… They had led me here.
A wide smile stretched across my lips. It was the beginning of a new adventure.
I slowly came back to my senses, but my cheeks flushed as I remembered my true motivation.
And yet, I had no doubt. My heart knew. I was sure of myself. Sure of us.
Gently, I loosened my embrace and pushed Cassandre back slightly—just enough to look into her eyes. Her gaze sparkled with curiosity and tenderness.
Without a word, I took one of the necklaces and offered it to her.
— Marry me.
Cassandre blinked, frozen, as if she hadn't heard correctly. Then her gaze went from the necklace to me, then back to the necklace again.
— …What?
Her voice was a surprised whisper, slightly trembling.
— Marry me, I repeated softly, a smile at the corner of my lips.
Silence.
Then suddenly, her face lit up, her cheeks reddened, and her eyes blurred with tears.
— You… you're serious?! Really?!
She clapped her hands over her mouth, her breath quickening with emotion. Then, in a burst of pure laughter, she threw herself around my neck with enough force to make me stumble slightly backward.
— YES! YES, YES, YES!
She pulled back for a moment, her trembling hands brushing the necklace I had offered.
— It's the most beautiful gift in the world, she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. You… you made it yourself… for me…
I nodded, unable to take my eyes off her radiant joy.
— Because you're the only one I want to share my life with.
A new laugh, broken by sobs, escaped her as she clumsily wiped her tears.
— It's… it's not fair! I look like a mess, crying like this!
— A madly-in-love mess, I corrected with a smile.
She gave me a light slap on the shoulder, then, unable to contain her joy, slipped the necklace on with a quick motion before hugging me tightly again.
— I love you, she whispered against my neck.
I wrapped my arms around her, savoring the moment, forever engraving her laughter, her tears, and her warmth in my memory.
— I love you too, Cassandre.
And so, we pledged ourselves to one another.
The night was restless, full of passion and whispered words in the dark. Our souls entwined, our bodies seeking again and again the embrace that sealed our commitment.
But dawn eventually broke, painting the sky in fiery shades. There was no time for idleness, no respite for those walking toward their destiny.
In the morning, hand in hand, we resumed our journey.
Toward the end of this world.
The weeks passed in a strange blend of love and endless walking. Cassandre and I moved forward, hand in hand, but something was off.
The monsters had vanished. No more ambushes, no more creatures lurking in the shadows. Just a heavy silence, an absence that made me uneasy.
Yet every step confirmed one thing: we were getting closer to something.
And then, one day, we arrived before a wall.
It was an impossible thing. A smooth, colossal structure that stretched endlessly into the sky. Not a crack, not a flaw. Just an impassable, immense boundary, as if the world itself forbade us from going any further.
A cold shiver ran through me.
A flash of understanding.
We were inside the Xylorath.
Suddenly, everything made sense. This world that seemed to breathe, to shift beneath our steps. That feeling of being watched.
That sense that the environment itself was alive.
It was alive. It was watching us.
And it was waiting for something.
I was lost in thought when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cassandre brush the wall.
And there, my intuition exploded, stronger than ever.
Something… something that should never have existed emerged from it.
A paw. Clawed. Immaterial.
My heart froze. I knew. Even before it revealed itself fully, I knew.
It was one of them.
Those winged beasts, those predators torn from a nightmare that we had glimpsed in the sky.
Time contracted.
— No.
The word didn't even have time to leave my lips.
Blood Pact. Maximum.
My body moved before my mind could follow. An explosion of speed, a muffled cry, my arm flinging Cassandre far, so far, out of reach.
A breath of relief, maybe.
Then—
A searing pain.
A black flash tore through my vision.
The air ceased to exist.
My world tipped.
In the distance, a scream. Her scream.
Cassandre.
The ground smashed against me, heavy, cold. My fingers clenched in the void, searching for a support that no longer existed.
The sky spun, the shadows stretched.
And there, above me, the beast folded its wings, indifferent.
It had already won.
I wanted to scream at it that no. That it wasn't over. That Cassandre had to run, that I loved her, that—
Everything went black.