A few days later, the so-called "break" officially came to an end. The camp slowly returned to its usual rhythm - if such a thing could exist on the Forgotten Shore. After days of silence and routine maintenance, conversations about new expeditions into the Dark City began again. Quiet at first, then louder, until discussions were held out in the open, maps were unrolled again, and roles were delegated.
This time, things would be different.
They moved with more caution. Preparation was even more prioritized than before, and every plan had several fallback options. The deaths and losses of the last failed outing had made their mark - if not on their bodies, then certainly on their minds.
What did surprise Ray, however, were the occasional odd instructions Nephis gave to the main group.
Sometimes they were framed as precautionary - bring this, take that route, avoid this sector, investigate this, investigate that. Other times, they seemed almost cryptic, with no immediate logic or explanation behind them. And each time, she delivered them with the same calm conviction she always had.
Ray noticed. But didn't say anything.
Not to her, not to Cassie. Not even to Effie. He simply noted the pattern and filed it away with the rest of his thoughts. She was up to something, of that he was sure. But there was no need to do anything for now. At the moment, it still seemed as if most of their camp was thoroughly brainwashed with how they looked at Changing Star as if she were a saint or even a god.
The weeks passed. Quietly, steadily.
One turned into two. Then three. Then four.
In all that time, no news about Sunny arrived.
In that time, Ray continued his work with the tome. His understanding of the runes had grown slowly but surely. Each session was a frustrating grind, but progress came nonetheless. With enough deciphered from the index, he had finally chosen a section that resonated with him the most; the one where it spoke about wielding oblivion.
What that truly meant, he couldn't say yet. But something about those runes called to him. Like they were speaking directly into his soul.
Still, that particular chapter of the tome didn't give itself up easily. Much of it remained locked behind fractured context and misaligned symbols. But Ray could feel himself approaching something. The first entry of the chapter seemed important - crucial, even - and he was beginning to form a sense of what it might mean. Though, it was still just out of reach.
One rune appearing over and over, but Ray couldn't find the real meaning it had in all of it.
Veil.
He had been stuck on it for a while, but it never clicked
And then came the call.
Nephis summoned their cohort again, along with a few key figures from outside their tighter group.
Everyone belonging to their group attended, Cassie, who slowly but surely grew quieter each time Ray saw her, Caster, who was even busier at the moment, having mostly taken Ray's previous role, as he was too busy, and Effie, of course. But also others. People like Henry, the pale, disheveled and white-haired friend of Ray's, who despite his reclusive nature had a sharp mind and deep intuition.
No one said it, but those present could imagine that this wasn't a routine meeting. The atmosphere was too tense for that.
---
"I have called all of you today, because of an important topic that I would like to address now. Some of you may have noticed some questioning and weird behavior over the last weeks, this was all to gather some information, from outside of the castle… as well as from inside. You may ask how we were able to get the information from inside, when we were all not inside there for a while, and the answer to this… is a spy, or rather an informant, inside."
These words hushed the entire room into silence, everyone begining to think about the implications this could have, and possibilities that opened with this. Though, before anyone could voice their thoughts, Nephis continued.
"The identity of said informant is irrelevant at the moment. The topic of importance right now is, the Shard Memories. Just yesterday we were able to find one of the two missing statues, this also represents another one of the memories. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, there are seven statues scattered across the forgotten shore, all were made to show members of the so-called "Starlight Order". We currently know about the whereabouts of four of these memories, three are still unknown, but will be found eventually."
Cassie continued from this point, giving Neph a moment to breath. "And we found the location of one of these four, or rather the location where we can get it. To get it, we will need a small group of us to get it. Small enough to not attract too much attention to us, but still enough to accomplish the task without too much risk."
Neph nodded, scanned the group, and spoke again, "Yes, is anyone going to volunteer for it? It will be dangerous."
Most looked a bit hesitant, the exceptions being Caster, who had instantly raised his arm alongside Cassie, after a moment of thought Ray also raised his. After he raised his, Effie sighed heavily and then also raised hers, following them, Henry eventually also got in.
"Good. Thank you all, we will head out tomorrow morning. We're going to hide our plans as a large hunt; this mission shouldn't take longer than three days in total. The rest will need to act like they are out hunting for these three days."
The group nodded, a few already standing up to notify the others about their 'big hunting party' the next day. Others getting their things together to get back to their own places.
As they were leaving the building, Ray turned to Henry, "You sure about that? I don't mean to downplay your strength or anything, but… also considering your flaw and all, is it for the best part that you come with us on this particular mission?"
Henry, with his dark circles around his eyes, and slightly hunched figure, chuckled a bit before looking at Ray, "Dude, you should have noticed by now, my flaw is not as bad as your rotten luck."
Effie laughed in response, thinking back to their first hunt as a duo, back when Ray was relatively new to the forgotten shore. Back then, they had been nearly overrun by a huge herd of raptors, only making it out alive thanks to luck and trickery. "Well, he's got a point I guess."
Ray managed a weak smile. "Maybe you're right. Still, stay sharp out there."
Henry nodded, his expression turning serious again. "Always."
The group dispersed, melting back into the routines of the camp. Plans for the 'big hunt' quickly spread, met with nods and quiet preparations. No one questioned the need for such a large party heading out; resources were always needed, and the Dark City remained a constant, looming threat that demanded respect and strength in numbers, even if this time, the numbers were a facade.
Ray walked back towards his dwelling, the conversation with Henry replaying in his mind alongside the echoes of the meeting. Nephis' revelation about an informant, the mention of the Shard Memories, the sudden mission... it all felt connected, pieces of a puzzle he couldn't yet assemble.
And underneath it all, like a persistent hum, was the mystery of the tome and the elusive rune.
Veil.
What did it mean? Was it a literal veil, something to hide or obscure? Or something more metaphorical? A veil between worlds, between life and death, between understanding and oblivion?
His fingers itched to return to the tome, to wrestle with the cryptic symbols once more. But the mission came first. Three days, Nephis had said. Three days cloaked in the guise of a hunt, venturing out to retrieve a fragment of forgotten power.
He glanced towards Harper's old hut, thinking about everything that happened that evening, even leading to Sunny leaving completely. His absence troubled him almost as much as Nephis' secrets. Something must have happened, which caused him to leave, it couldn't have been the thing with Harper, even though Sunny was reluctive about the memory part, in the end, Ray had removed everything of importance.
Pushing the thoughts aside for now, Ray focused on the immediate task: preparation. He needed to check his gear, restock essentials, and mentally steel himself for whatever lay ahead. Despite Nephis' careful planning and reassurances, the Forgotten Shore rarely allowed for straightforward missions. Danger was its natural state.
As dusk began to settle over the camp, casting long shadows that danced like phantoms, Ray finally reached his small shelter. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of bruised purple and blood orange, a beautiful, yet somber, reminder of the world they were trapped in. Tomorrow, they would venture out again, chasing whispers of power under the guise of survival. And Ray couldn't shake the feeling that this mission, born from secrets and informants, might lift a veil on something far more significant than just a lost memory. He could only hope they were ready for what lay beneath.