Page 241 of Emylia

Once we reached the outskirts of Ophelia, Sebastian slowed just long enough to swing up onto Orion. The motion was fluid, practiced—his silhouette cutting a striking figure against the backdrop of golden fields. Without a word, I followed suit, guiding Stormfire after him as the wind tugged at my cloak.

Minutes passed in a blur of hoofbeats and sunlight. Then, like titans rising from the earth, the familiar cliffs surged into view—towers of stone carved by time, jagged and massive. They loomed around us, swallowing the sky. They always made me feel small in the best possible way.

These cliffs were sacred.

Apart from the Aelinthian Forrest and the cliffs near home, this was the one place I always returned to.

When I was younger, my father had brought me here—along with Evie and Sebastian—to chase the sunset across the rocks. Even after Evie had drifted away into girlhood distractions, my father, Sebastian, and I still came back. Sometimes we’d camp beneath the stars, building fires and telling stories until the embers burned low.

A dull ache stirred in my chest, but it didn’t cut like it used to. That empty space where grief used to live had slowly filled, not replaced, but softened—by Maalikai’s quiet steadiness and Sebastian’s ever-burning light. And Evie–my beloved Evie–her moonlight, her heart made of stardust and all thing magical.

Somehow, I knew my father would’ve been proud of the person I’d become because of them.

Instead of stopping at the usual spot, Sebastian urged Jet forward. We kept riding until the cliffs closed in like a cathedral of stone. Only then did he pull his mount to a stop.

I hadn’t even realized I was still staring skyward until Sebastian’s voice broke the silence.

“Ahem.”

My gaze dropped. Sebastian stood below me, hand outstretched. The sun caught the amber in his eyes, and for a moment, he looked golden—untouchable.

Like a God.

Almost in a daze, I slid from the saddle. His hands caught me mid-descent, firm and gentle, like I was something precious. He didn’t let go right away.

“You alright?” he asked softly, eyes searching mine.

I nodded, my voice caught somewhere in the back of my throat. “Good.” His smile turned playful. “Because I’m about to blow your freaking mind.”

I rolled my eyes but let him guide me by the hand, our fingers naturally finding their familiar fit. Together we walked toward the jagged rock face. I expected him to veer left toward the narrow cliff trail—but he stopped short, nearly causing me to stumble into him.

“What the—Sebastian?—?”

“This is it,” he whispered, like he was unveiling a treasure.

I leaned around him, squinting. Nothing looked out of place—just the weathered face of the cliff and an overgrown berry bush hugging the base.

Before I could question it, Sebastian crouched low and pushed aside the dense branches, revealing a narrow opening just wide enough to crawl through.

“Are youinsane?” I hissed.

He didn’t answer—just disappeared inside with a muffled, “Are you coming or not?”

I stared after him, silence stretching as the leaves swayed gently in the breeze. Gods, how many stupid things had I followed this boy into?

Too many to count.

Still muttering curses under my breath, I dropped to my knees and crawled in after him—toward Gods knew what kind of reckless death lay at the end of this rock tunnel.

The tunnel was narrower—and deeper—than I’d expected. Each inch forward scraped against my spine, damp stone pressing in on both sides like a creature closing its jaws. The air was heavy with moisture and earth, thick with the scent of moss and something older—ancient.

Being this close to the cliffs that lined the sea, I could hear the distant rumble of waves, like the ocean itself was waiting to claim us.

With every breath, hysteria clawed closer. The walls seemed to whisper against my skin, greedy and closing. Claustrophobia licked at the edges of my thoughts.

How Sebastian had fit through here without getting stuck was beyond me.

And still, I crawled.

---