[Title in Progress]

Chapter 4

You may be lost in a deep sleep, but you are still alive. You weren't killed, although he came close to finishing you. You won't remember what happened when you woke up, but I will be here with you.

Rash sat up, panting as though he'd just run a long distance. He was lying in his quarters, alone, but...

Was that someone's voice I heard?? Rash thought.

Yes, it was.

Rash yelped and jumped out of bed. "Am I going mad??" he whispered to himself.

No, you're not going mad. I promise you I am real.

"Who are you???"

I am the one who Shofren is trying to keep hidden from you. Look at the ring on your finger.

Rash looked down, and like the voice had told him, he had a ring on his finger. It looked ordinary, but as Rash inspected it more closely, he saw that the plain black stone had... something swirling in its depths.

Hello Rash. My name is Cyra.

"Hello?" Vestele heard from a far distance away. "Are you awake?" Vestele struggled to open his eyes, but due to a bright light glaring into his eyes, he was forced to slowly open them bit by bit.

"Great! I'll go alert the Great One you're responsive!" the same voice said. He heard quick
 footsteps running out of the room.

The Great One? Who could that be?  Vestele thought. Where even am I? Once his eyes got used to the light, he opened them all the way to find himself in a room made of pure blue ice, with the sunlight reflecting itself through the room several times over. Strangely, even though the room was made of ice, it felt comfortable rather than bitterly cold.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a female voice said from behind Vestele.

Vestele pushed himself up from his bed and looked to the doorway. A woman stood in the doorway, adorned with a plain white cloak and an white, ethereal veil covering most of her face, except her green eyes.

"Yes, it is," Vestele hesitated, "excuse me if I'm being rude, but who are you? Where am I? I'm not even sure if I'm alive or dead right now. Was I killed? The last thing I remember is getting put to sleep by a nurse, but I can't remember her name."

"I'm sure you're very confused right now," the veiled woman said in a kind voice, "but let me push all doubts out of your mind about your physical state. I promise you that you're alive, although you, and several others, are blessed to be here with us right now."

"What do you mean?"

"The rebel camp where you were staying was attacked by Rash, "she explained, "and there were hardly any survivors. You and Ova are the only two I've been able to locate."

"Did the Veiled One die?" Vestele asked.

"No, Kiev is still alive. He's currently in the custody of Tricon though."

"He got captured??"

"He allowed himself to be taken in by Rash. I have no idea why, but I trust his judgment."

"Why wasn't I captured? How were me and Ova the only ones to escape?"

"I could ask that same question. But, I know the answer, so there's no need."

"Well?"

"Ova told me that Kiev has instructed her to protect a certain individual no matter the cost. That person was you. So, once the camp began to be attacked, Ova saw that there was no chance of the rebels surviving that conflict. She took your unconscious body and began to make her way here, to Frost City."

"She did that for me??" Vestele cried in surprise. "Why?? Why would she save me, someone from Tricon?"

"Surely you know the answer to that, even if you barely know Ova. She is an incredibly kind person and she cares too much about people to leave someone behind, no matter their loyalties. Although,"  the woman said, "you aren't too loyal to Eraven anymore based on what Kiev's told me."

"I've never even met the person!" Vestele exclaimed. "How would he know that I left Tricon and Eraven?"

"We Veiled Ones know much more than people think we do, "the woman chuckled. "Wait, you're a Veiled One?"

"Yes. I'm the Veiled One who stays here at Frost City."

"So I can tell you my news from Tricon??"

"There's nothing stopping you. Go ahead."

"Eraven, I believe, is beginning to be affected by the stresses of the war and going mad. He deluded himself into thinking that one of his council members and I had been leaking information to the rebels, then ordered us executed without giving us a chance to explain ourselves." Vestele said.

"How did you survive?" the Veiled One asked in astonishment.

"I ran to one of the windows and jumped. I decided that if I was going to die, I wanted to die on my own terms rather than by the Dengral." Vestele answered.

"You shouldn't have survived that fall, "she mused to herself.

"I know."

"But thanks to Rash, you're standing here today. He gave you the Elast and also attacked our camp," she said, with an accusatory look, "causing Ova to bring you here."

"That doesn't make sense." Vestele sighed.

"What doesn't?"

"Why would Rash attack the camp? He assured me he supported what the rebels were doing, even if he isn't able to help the rebels directly."

"Oh, my dear Vestele, you're so naive. Rash is a master of manipulation and lies. It's obvious he was deceiving you, although..."

"Although what?"

"I don't understand why he would have sent you here to us. I don't see how it would benefited Rash himself, and Rash is the most self serving being I know, "she said thoughtfully, but then she suddenly adopted a more brisk tone, quite unlike her usual voice, "but enough of thinking about Rash may or may not want. Take this man away guards!"

Two guards rushed into the room, grabbed Vestele by the arms and lifted up from his bed, then began dragging him out of the room.

Vestele tried to escape their grip, but they merely tightened their hold and continued walking. "Don't struggle, please, "the Veiled One said sadly, "I don't want to use more force against you."

"Why are you doing this??" Vestele cried.

"I can't rule out the possibility of Rash having placed something in you to spy on us," she said, "so for now, you'll remain in confinement until I can be sure."

"All he gave me was the Elast!" Vestele shouted. "I'd know if he did something else to me!"

"Are you sure of that?" the Veiled One asked before the guards carried Vestele out of the room and she was lost from sight.

The guards continued roughly dragging Vestele throughout several halls, which were all made of ice as well, until they arrived at a door with a small, barred window placed near the top. One of them stepped forward, unlocked the door, then grabbed Vestele again and threw him roughly into the cell.

"If it were up to me, I would've tossed you from the highest tower without a second thought, filth," he growled.

"Alessio!" the other guard scolded. She turned to Vestele and said, "I apologize on the part of my comrade and I." She closed the door and locked it back. "We're just following orders." Vestele heard her say in a muffled voice.

"I understand, "Vestele muttered, "I would've done the same thing." He turned to view his cell, but there wasn't much to see. He was in a bare circular room with only a bed to break the monotony. The cell was incredibly tall, with the top of the room barely visible from where Vestele stood, giving the impression of being stuck at the bottom of a hole. The room was made of ice, but instead of it being clear, clean and pristine like the other ice, this ice was dark, with an almost rotting look to it.

What have I gotten myself into? Vestele thought to himself. With nothing else to do, he went to the bed, laid down, and closed his eyes as he waited for sleep to fall upon him.