There was an eerie stillness to the night air as the moon beamed its yellow light onto Keldon. He clutched onto his newly acquired scarf, dazed by the scope of his future.

Obtaining his place in the world. Returning the Master of Names. Cosmic Guardians. Absence. He needed to become a hero to change these things.

Becoming a hero, what did it even mean now? Could that even make up for what he’d done?

Bitter grief and numbing guilt surfaced from his freshly opened scars. There was anger there, not towards Yan, but to himself. There was almost nothing in this world that he wouldn’t give to run away just a little while longer. He wasn’t ready to face his past. He already knew that. That was something that he had lived with for the last ten years.

“How amazingly shameless you are Keldon, to chase redemption yet still receive full credit for becoming a hero,” echoed Yan’s words in Keldon’s mind.

Keldon stood up with a heavy chest, starting his march back towards the campsite.

His cheeks flushed with shame, thinking about the selfishness that drove his actions. All this time, he’d only thought about being a hero for his own sake. Not for the same reason other people wanted to be heroes. Other people wanted to be heroes to save kingdoms and to make the lives of people better. Not him.

Why couldn’t he be them?

“Don’t be stupid, you already know why,”

Better reasons were for real heroes. Deep down, he already knew he was just a stand-in for real heroes like the Master of Names. Or Luther. Or Salem…

Keldon stopped walking, emotions tugging at him from every corner.

“urghh!!” he muttered, scratching the irritation at the back of his head.

It was stupid how good he’d felt when Yan had re-emphasized that it was his duty and honor to bring back The Master of Names.

“I’m just a stand-in,” thought Keldon.

It was something that he was going to have to live with sooner or later. Might as well just get used to it now.

The soft squish of soil gave way beneath his boots as Keldon caught his attention wandering to the gaze of the moon, thinking about all the celestials that would have lived out there in the stars above.

“Yeah. It’s for the best,” said Keldon, thinking about the being of seven stars.

“Give me back my lies!!!” came a raspy voice.

Keldon whipped around.

There stood the bug-eyed monster that accompanied Death back in that dark void. Mucus dripped from its overgrown eyes as Keldon retreated back a step. His stomach churned at the creature’s appearance. Its eyes twitched. The monster took a step towards Keldon.

“You…. You stole my lies from me!!” it screamed.

“Get away from me!” yelled Keldon. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I will have your truth Keldon, I’ll drag it out kicking and screaming if I have to!!” it cried. “You’ll spill your truth from your own wicked heart.”

The monster’s voice grated on Keldon’s ears like sandpaper, sending cold shock in his blood. It took a stomp towards Keldon, rumbling his chest like fire.

He shut his eyes, throwing his hands in front of his face.

But then, the monster was gone. It vanished into thin air.

And the winds that drifted by whispered the monster’s departure as the echoes of a haunted voice left him with a swamp of dread.

“Steal your rest while you can. Your truth is mine.”