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There is an old tale that goes around often in Sumeru city.
Supposedly, there once was a scribe sharing a home with the light of kshahrewar, it was true, that no matter how their ideals opposed at every waking moment, no matter how bad it got, not even once did they fail to find their way back into each other's arms safely; through silently bought crates of wine, through cooked favourite meals and handmade bookmarks; they had promised to themselves, after all, that they would never separate again after all that time spent away yet in need of each other.
Such a shame, that even such promises and whispered tender words are so easy to break by the single twist of fate.
One day, The Light Of Kshahrewar – Kaveh -- goes to an expedition in the desert with many other younger kshahrewar scholars, to see and investigate the ruins that hold so much history within, ruins that carry a lot of importance for the kshahrewar darshan through ancient architecture.
It is a violent earthquake that breaks the promise Kaveh had made to The Scribe -- to Alhaitham.
The ruins collapse, sand rushes in like waves ready to take you under, and the light of kshahrewar throws his own life aside in order to protect the scholars in his care, throws away the promise he desperately doesn't want to, that he holds so dear.
"I'll come back to you, Haitham, my soul will always find its way back to you, that, I promise."
Kaveh had been crushed and buried under the collapsed ruins and sand, his body never found, save for his dimmed, grey vision and his companion, Mehrak, now broken and unable to work because its core was crushed.
Kaveh had thrown his own life aside to save the younger students that were on the expedition with him. He had barely stabilised the collapsing, ancient ruins with the strength of his dendro vision, and had been crushed under when he could no longer keep it up, he knew he couldn't save himself from the beginning.
When the news of the light of kshahrewar's passing reached the Sumeru city, Alhaitham lost himself. Kaveh's last promise to him echoing in his mind, his voice sounding more and more distorted until his voice was unrecognisable, leaving him no room to think as he tenderly held Kaveh's dimmed dendro vision in his hands, besides Mehrak, it was one of the only things left for him from Kaveh to mourn and remember, afraid that it too would crumble and leave him with nothing but a terrible ache in his heart.
They say that the scribe had gone completely mad, seeking knowledge capsules and books forbidden by the Akademiya, leaving Sumeru city and roaming the collapsed ruins with nothing but the dimmed vision of his beloved attached to his cape beside his glowing one, two house keys tightly clutched in hand, gold and silver.
Alhaitham was reported missing after a few weeks and a search team was dispatched.
The only thing the team was able to find was two dendro visions buried in the sand, the visions merged together as they emit a green glow.
They had found the merged visions in front of a ruin's walls, words they can't recognise written on their surface in ancient deshret language.
They never found his body, nor the gold and silver keys.
Often, the clinking of keys and two different voices are heard through the numerous ruins of the desert, one voice apologies endlessly, another cries with longing, but these voices are never heard together at the same time, always separate.
Scholars came up with various predictions, but the most believed prediction being their souls merging. Some say that it is a blessing, some say that it is a curse worse than death if souls are merged, the idea of being together forever sounding sweet, yet, you'll be separate. unable to see, feel, or hear your other half for the rest of your unending, not dead, yet not alive, life.