Opalina (prime)/Vignette: Return to Naidem
Title: Return to Naidem
Author: Opalina Jalcon
The gates to Naidem are on the verge of reopening, bringing news of a secret convention being held at Evermore Hollow’s Hotel. Invitations, quietly distributed throughout the wilds, have sparked a wave of curiosity, and many are now searching for them. Opalina, with her own burdens weighing heavily on her mind, makes her way to Moonsedge to assist in guiding the restless spirits to peace. However, her thoughts are never far from the curse still lingering over her actions in Naidem the previous year—a constant reminder of her responsibility, with the haunting phrase "Free the Souls" pressing on her conscience.
While on her mission, she finds herself encumbered by a rather large and unusually heavy box, forcing her to return to town. After depositing it and several others with the local locksmiths, she takes a moment to head to the town center. There, she lights a candle, joining a cluster surrounding a small likeness of Mayor Talliver. Recently rescued from the sinister Dusk Coven, Talliver endured torture at their hands through blood magic and sorcery. Though his body now seems healed, it has been discovered that his spirit is fractured, with part of his life force still lost in Naidem.
Opalina longs to join other Icemulians in the search for the missing piece of the mayor’s soul, but the weight of her previous year’s missteps in Naidem haunts her. The events of the past—particularly the cursed wedding—echo in her mind, as do the relentless whispers that have plagued her ever since. Voices, both real and imagined, continue to torment her as she contemplates the spirits she may have wronged. She wonders whether her intervention, despite the warnings not to interfere, has irrevocably altered the fates of Naidem's lost souls. How can she atone for her actions, especially to the grieving mother whose daughters met a grisly fate?
Her decision is made for her when she returns to collect her boxes and finds an envelope containing an invitation to return to Naidem for the convention. Determined to make amends and rescue Mayor Talliver’s spirit, Opalina prepares to pack her bags. She knows she must disguise herself to avoid recognition, but it's a risk she is willing to take. It's time to face her past and seek redemption.
"Naidem, here I come!"