09 Conclusion
Part 9: Conclusion
The Final Farewell
My grandfather and I walked side by side, leaving the temple grounds behind as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees. The dawn was quiet, serene, a stark contrast to the turmoil of the past few days. Yet, there was an unspoken heaviness between us as we approached the home where my siblings had been staying since the destruction of our house.
As we neared the door, I could see them through the window—my younger brother and sister, safe, playing quietly in the warmth of my grandfather's home. A flood of relief washed over me. They had been spared the horrors that had unfolded, and for that, I was endlessly thankful.
Before entering the house, I stopped for a moment, my hand instinctively reaching up to the two pendants hanging around my neck. The pendant from my father, the Pendant of Unseen Truths, and the one Alexion had given me before he left with the militia. I grasped them both tightly, the metal warm from my skin, feeling their weight against my chest.
Suddenly, a strange sensation crept over me—an almost imperceptible shift in the air, a faint tingle at the back of my neck. I froze, my eyes lifting toward the horizon. There, for the briefest of moments, I saw him.
Thanir.
He stood in the distance, shrouded in shadow, his dark wings folded behind him, his glowing purple eyes locked onto me. My breath hitched, my grip on the pendants tightening. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. It was as if the world had stopped, time itself held in suspension.
But then—just as quickly as I had seen him—he was gone. Vanished into thin air, leaving only the faintest ripple in the space where he had been. I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest. Had it been real? Had I truly seen him? Or was it just a trick of the light, my mind playing games with me after everything I'd been through?
My grandfather turned to look at me, sensing my sudden stillness. "Aetherion? What is it?"
I swallowed hard, shaking my head slightly. "I... thought I saw something. Someone." My voice faltered for a moment before I regained my composure. "But it's nothing. Maybe just my imagination."
He frowned, concern flickering in his eyes, but he didn't press the matter. We walked inside, greeted by the warmth of my siblings' embrace, their innocence a temporary balm for the wounds left by the chaos.
Yet, even as I held them close, the image of Thanir lingered in my mind. Whether real or imagined, I couldn't shake the feeling that he had been there, watching me, observing the ceremony from afar. Why? I didn't know. But one thing was certain: if he was still out there, I would find him.
As we made preparations for my journey, my mind remained sharp, my heart resolute. I had taken the Oath of Truth, and I had made my vow to Oghma. Now, I made a vow to myself:
I would not stop.
I would search every corner of the world, uncover every hidden truth, and confront every challenge. Whether Thanir still carried a piece of Alexion within him or had been fully consumed by Cyric, I would do what needed to be done.
And I would not rest until it was accomplished.