Aloy wakes up in Meridian alongside the Sun-King Avad, not knowing how her got there. Together, they will experience adventures and emotions that will form strong bonds between these characters.
🧭 This story takes place after Horizon Forbidden West...
"I truly feel sorry that you had to go through all of this... you've been very strong and brave, much more than anyone else. I want you to know that... in part, I understand you." Avad said, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb "I, like you, I've... never talked about this with anyone, but my childhood hasn't been entirely pleasant either. I always felt... alone. In part, I know what it's like to have been rejected." the Nora looked up. The moment their eyes met, she felt a strong connection with him "Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet my mother. Rather, I've never known anything about her. I would believe it if they told me my father killed her... or that she ran away... The person who took care of me the most was Marad, my only friend, and... Kadaman. Sun-King Jiran didn't care about me; the only thing I was useful for was preserving his lineage, as a plan B, because, in reality, my older brother Kadaman was supposed to succeed him. The only purpose he had for me was as a backup option to continue his atrocities in case the first one failed, and that was very unlikely... You've probably wondered why, despite my desire to travel, I never left Meridian until recently when I became king. It's... because he wouldn't even let me leave the palace. He was ashamed of me because I wasn't interested in training as a fighter. I preferred a different kind of education, like art, and he didn't understand it. I grew up thinking something was wrong with me and that I had to earn his love, and I did everything I could to achieve it. I trained very hard to impress him and gain his approval; I did everything possible for him to accept me, even used to sit next to Jiran in the front seats of the Sun Ring, but it was never enough for him..." he narrated, covering his eyes as if wanting to forget everything he had seen. Then, he paused, organizing his thoughts on how to continue "There was a time when I painted a picture that had cost me a lot and was very satisfied with the result, and..." Aloy felt him grip her hand tightly, seeking a way to continue, with tears streaming from his eyes "and... he... he... burned it, along with almost everything I had. And then... then he... he..." the Carja broke down in tears, unable to continue speaking.
"Oh... Avad... come here..." she whispered softly in his ear while embracing him "You didn't deserve any of that; I... I'm so sorry..." she said, thinking that there might be more he wasn't telling her given his reaction "That man wasn't in his right mind, Avad." he didn't say anything, just held her.
"Forgive me for... uh... this." he murmured after a few minutes while wiping his face.
"Don't apologize for it." she replied, looking into his eyes. He continued his story.
"In the end... my brother and I agreed that his reign had to end. All the other tribes hated us, and if it continued like that, they would eventually ally against us, and it would be a massacre. Since we both knew I wouldn't influence him at all, we thought it would be best if Kadaman talked to Jiran, as he had a clear preference for my brother, and he was more likely to listen. One day he met with him to ask him to stop with so much violence... Do you know what my father's response was? He sacrificed him in the Sun Ring. Ah... it was... horrible... Not only did he not look away while his own son died, but he forced me to watch. Everything. Every... every moment... T-that's why... why I'm so terrified of machines. Every time I see one... I see how my brother falls to the ground after... ah... being torn apart by sawtooths..." he paused, feeling how Aloy hugged him a little tighter "I suffered a lot from his death, but at that moment, there was a clear idea in my mind. I knew it had to end by my own hand. My father wasn't in his right mind. With Marad's help, I managed to escape from the palace and fled from Meridian. Thanks to Ersa and Erend, I gathered a large number of warriors with whom we attacked the Sun Palace. There was hardly any fighting; almost all the guards joined our cause. As we took the palace, Jiran ordered Helis to take Nasadi and Itamen to the Eclipse, where they were held prisoners until you helped in their release. In the end, I found myself face to face with Jiran." he explained painfully, staring at the ground "I begged him to relent, but he looked at me fiercely knowing that... I wouldn't be able to kill him. At that moment, I hadn't realized that Ersa was behind me, who ripped the sword from my hand and stabbed him right there. He fell to his knees and died cursing me, wishing I'd never see the light of the sun again, saying I wouldn't last two days because 'You don't deserve to be called a son, or a king... You're incompetent and a traitor. Sooner or later, Meridian will expel you like weeds. You're a shame to my lineage; I hope this is your last sunrise.' Many call me 'The Liberator' but I... see myself as... a murderer. And on top of that, a coward... Guilt has always haunted me..." he finished telling, not lifting his gaze from the ground, feeling guilt-filled.
"You're not a murderer." she replied, caressing his cheek.
"I tried to kill... my own... father." he blamed himself, looking down.
"But you didn't do it just to kill and enjoy the suffering like he did; you did it because you had no other choice. You begged him to stop, and he didn't. If you hadn't killed him, he would have taken your life himself. Thanks to your bravery, hundreds of people were spared from being sacrificed in the Sun Ring, and you've brought peace to the Sundom. You've worked to rebuild friendships with the tribes, even with the Nora. Don't blame yourself for what you did." Aloy said, recalling the story of the Liberation, which she already knew from Ersa's perspective, narrated by Erend some time ago, although not in such detail "In fact, it's thanks to you that a future of harmony between the tribes is possible."
"Thank you for understanding." they hugged each other tighter, feeling that intense connection of being understood by each other.
"Wow, our lives haven't been easy, truth be told..." Aloy pointed out with a sad smile "And deep down, they're not so different." they fell silent, observing the view while leaning on each other. The sky had already been tinted with an endless array of warm colors like fire: yellows, pinks, crimsons... the sight was truly incredible. The sunlight illuminated their bodies, giving them an orange hue. They stayed there, enjoying the wonderful landscape, watching how that light dyed everything "Sunsets here are truly magical; I've never had the time to observe them so calmly." the lower half of the sun had already disappeared below the horizon. He looked at Aloy. Her gaze had such a welcoming light, not forgetting her smile that made his heart beat intensely when he saw it, and her hair looked beautiful waving in the breeze... He took a slow breath to try to calm himself. It was time to tell her what he had been wanting to say for so long. He tried to find the right words to address her.
"Aloy..." he timidly named her, feeling his heart race as he returned his gaze to the huntress's eyes.
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😱 Will Avad tell her?! 😱
Don't miss the next chapter, let's see what happens!! 💕
