Tidal | Neuvillette

XXXIII

                          - I failed you, my love -

Enough was enough. Days had passed with absolutely 0 sign of her, and he was beginning to loose his mind to the thought that someone else had reached her before he could.

It was around midnight now. And the aching urge to roam through the region to find her. He'd stop at absolutely nothing until he found her. Just a trace of her. Anything to gain his love back, that's all he wanted. So he put on his coat, and stepped out into the dismal array of rain and despair.

As he ventured deeper into the labyrinthine streets of Fontaine, the weight of the night pressed down upon him like a heavy cloak. Each shadow seemed to hold secrets, each whisper of the wind carrying echoes of her name. The dim glow of the street lamps provided little comfort, casting long shadows that danced in the darkness. With every passing moment, his heart beat faster, his senses attuned to the slightest sound or movement. Yet, amidst the eerie stillness of the night, he pressed on, driven by an unyielding resolve to uncover the truth and bring her safely home.

The cobblestone streets stretched out before him, their worn surfaces bearing the scars of time. He moved with purpose, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the night, each sound a reminder of the urgency of his mission. The city seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for his next move, its streets a maze of possibilities and dangers. But he remained undeterred, his determination unshakeable in the face of uncertainty.

As he turned a corner, a faint glimmer of light caught his eye, drawing him closer with its tantalizing allure. He quickened his pace, his heart pounding in anticipation as he approached the source of the light. And there, amidst the shadows, he found a clue, a tiny fragment of hope in the vast expanse of darkness. With renewed resolve, he continued his search, each step bringing him closer to the truth, and to her.

"Please return to me, my dear."

...

"It feels like I'm loosing hope that I so vowed to myself that I would keep regardless."

He ventured so far, he even forgot he was in Fontaine. The harsh wrath of the rain remained a solemn reminder that if she were to never return, Fontaine would fall into an ever lasting curse of rainfall. He passed many in the streets as they rushed to get indoors.

"All this rain lately. Such an inconvenience."

"The weather is appalling. Come, we must go to shelter."

"Aw, rain again? I wanted to play out today."

"Rain? Wait... don't cry hydro dragon."

His heart rate seemed to slow at the statement, but it didn't shake his insatiable desire to find her. It didn't stop the rain either...

Miles, he walks.

For hours. Any clue will do.

...

Bingo.

...

He discovers a torn piece of fabric caught on a nearby fence, its delicate threads fluttering in the night breeze. With trembling hands, he reaches out to examine it, his heart skipping a beat as he recognizes the familiar pattern. It's a piece of her dress, torn and frayed, but unmistakably hers. The one she wore when he saw her admiring the streets of Fontaine. She wore a floral pin in her hair too.

"No..."

A surge of determination courses through him as he clutches the fabric tightly, his mind racing with possibilities. He knows he's on the right track, that he's getting closer to finding her. With a renewed sense of purpose, he sets off into the night once more, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of her presence. The rain wasn't the only thing streaming down his face at this point. It seems his view on emotion was the puppet master behind a play of deep repression.