SHADOWs of GHOST: Oneshot Collection (Fortnite)

The Scroll

Eternal Knight and Adira are from the same world. Eternal Knight trained her before she was first sent to the island. Just a small headcanon that ties into this.

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Every day, the possessions of the missing knights were cleaned, preserved, and well-taken care of in the courtyard. Every day, Adira offered to be the one to handle those tasks, instead of the watchmen who were originally assigned to do so. There were swords, maces, shields, some extra pieces of armor such as chest plates and pauldrons... then, there were the three empty armor stands that stood in the middle of the courtyard as a tribute.

Adira didn't know any of the knights who had gone missing, only that they had all disappeared over a year ago. She hadn't been in the village or among The Knight's Guild when that had happened, but every day in training, Eternal Knight told her stories of when they were here. She told stories of how she was taken in by the leader, Ultima Knight, at thirteen years old, and had fought with them ever since. She told stories of their senses of honor and how they had shifted over the years. She taught of the recklessness of two of the knights, and how she hoped Adira would never be led astray by the thoughts of personal gain or greed.

When Eternal Knight had taken her in just six months ago, she would have been tempted by such things. But, after all of the lessons, her own training and from all the stories she had been told, Adira wanted nothing more than to make her proud. She had already lost three, and The Knight's Guild had fallen apart. Adira wouldn't be a fourth.

Everything was in place. She had completed looking over the courtyard for today, so Adira went to fetch one of the watchmen to take back over.

On her way out, she tripped over a large, empty vase that she must have placed too close to the path. When she went to pick it up and put it into place, there was a drawstring bag that had fallen out. Upon further inspection, she found a scroll inside. She knew better than to read something that didn't belong to her; it could be something personal and important that got hidden away, or somehow, it could be some sort of ancient prophecy or even spell that would ensure no good. But, curiosity got the better of her.

It was written in unfamiliar handwriting and contained riddles that she could not decipher. Something about the ocean, something about the "bridge between reality," something about a butterfly and a rift of something... and, at the end, it was signed with a name. Ultima Knight.

But he was gone... and the letter was addressed to Eternal Knight herself.

Hastily, she set the vase back into place and sped off in search of her teacher. She found her at a desk in one of the halls, writing a letter of her own. "Lorena?" She addressed her by her name, as she tended to do. "I'm sorry for interrupting. I found something that may be of importance to you..."

Eternal Knight said nothing. She set down her pen, and with a hesitant hand, took the scroll and smoothed it out over the smooth wood of the desk. She read it once. Twice. Maybe even more. All Adira knew was she was still and silent for several minutes, which eventually turned into ten. Maybe fifteen.

Eternal Knight scanned it over and over again. It was Ultima Knight's handwriting, and it was, indeed, his signature at the bottom. But Ultima Knight never spoke in riddles. He was always clear and spoke in simple terms to get his points across, but the writing before her sounded nothing like him.

She didn't understand any of it. A bridge between reality? A rift, the butterfly...

The butterfly. Of course.

It was how all three of the knights had disappeared. They came in contact with a strange crystal-like butterfly, glowing translucent pale blue and purple hues. Black Knight and Red Knight did little to resist its temptation. Ultima Knight was the only one to give a proper warning and goodbye when he too followed its effects. They were all reckless. They all had abandoned their duties and their senses of honor, and she swore she wouldn't be next. But the butterfly never returned, so she didn't have to be next.

Only the brave dare to cross the bridge between reality as we know it. Only the foolish follow the ocean's waves when the sun sets. But when the storm comes, why does the butterfly continue on its journey? Because it knows somewhere out there, it preys on its next target to enter the loop. Its journey to the target is a long and winding road, and it must persevere through the struggle. No matter the cost.

The ocean. It was the only sense she could make out of the letter. She had never sailed the vast sea of her world, nor had she been close to its shores. It was a trip of two days at the least just to get there, and no one knew for sure how long it extended. In fact, she knew of few adventurers who had successfully traveled the entire thing... and few travelers who had ever returned.

Eternal Knight was never one to be interested in fairy tales, but... could it be that the ocean was the bridge between reality he spoke of?

Once the answer is clear, perhaps we will all return together. The Knight's Guild, for now, is at three of its four members. Or, maybe, you will face temptation one day. You will follow through on that temptation, and you will reach us before we are done. Then, The Knight's Guild will officially be one again.

Why does the butterfly go on its journey? Because it has a destination to reach, and it will persevere through the struggle to reach that destination. You have always said you had an unfulfilled journey to find. In a sense, you are the butterfly, and you need to determine both the journey and the destination.

No matter the cost.
Best Regards,
Ultima Knight.

The ocean was her journey, and the knights were her destination. She would find them, she would follow the ocean, and she would bring the knights home.

No matter the cost.