Seed of Hope

Aiko looked at Echo's extended hand, her eyes showing hesitation and doubt.

 "Stop blabbering nonsense, your drunk."

 Aiko motioned, right when Echo was about to reach for a second bottle.

 "You always have a low tolerance on alcohol."

 Echo clueless where Aiko was coming from said, 

"I'm not drunk." 

She took Echo's hand and pulled him. As they were passing through the exit of the gambling den, Echo caught a glimpse of Gemma following them with his eyes.

 Aiko took Echo outside the castle and onto a random alley.

 "Are you dumb? You can't just recruit a values guest of Ganlaug and the one who manage their memories all of a sudden." Aiko knocked on Echo's head with her fist. 

Echo just took it, since he understood too late that people might hear them even from afar. 

'Man this guy got so little tolerance in alcohol, that was reckless of me, Gemma was there too.' He thought and scratched the back of his head. 

He stared at Aiko for a while and said. 

"I understand your concern, it was my fault. Anyway, are you gonna join us?"

 "I have to think about it, specially since you'll be going through Gunlaug if you want to siege the spire. I haven't even met this sleeper you were talking about, how can I know she is competent enough to lead it." Aiko crossed her arms. 

"Trust me, she can." Echo said with certainty and confidence. 

"You seem awfully confident you can do it, we dont even know what kind of creature dwells in there, Gunlaug is still a problem too, youll need an army of sleepers just to go through him, how come you can certainly help me or everyone else wake up from this nightmare?" Aiko's tone became saddened and somber. 

The atmosphere inside the castle and streets outside of it are the same, they might be laughing enjoying life as it is but there's an underlying uncertainty they experience everyday and they cant do anything about it, no one can. People in here has endured, fought and survived up until now, even though there was no certainty of going out, its not simply because they don't want to die but because they still hope deep inside where their voided eyes cant see. 

Echo's tone changed and became full of confidence. 

"Everyone here needs a leader, a messiah, a hero to swoop in and help them. They hope for a knight shining armor, but no one showed up. Until I finally found someone willing to take that risk, strong enough to be the hero and willing enough to do it. And I'm sure she can, but she needs people whom she can trust." 

Echo stopped for a moment to breath and grinned. 

"We will make sure Nephis becomes the hero of this Nightmare." 

Aiko tried to open her mouth but then closed it. She never saw or heard Echo say such words before, it stirred up something in here she thought died a long time ago, hope. But she was still reluctant, it took her a second before she finally said something. 

"Just give me time to think I'll tell old Stev of your offer, make sure to be safe Echo." Aiko walked outside the alley and headed back into the castle to tend to her gambling den. 

People here needs something to hold on to, a seed of hope, something they'll never let go.

 'Man I shouldn't have drank that whole bottle.' Echo grumbled inside his head and stepped out of the alley finding his way towards his house in the dim streets of the outskirts.

—

Echo woke up before dawn, and stepped out of the house he was staying at and proceeded to walk towards where Nephis was. While he was walking he can't help to ponder all the things he said to Aiko. All of it was true not a mere persuasion or lie he wants to tell her. 

'When I woke up here, and realized I am in the forgotten shore, I didn't know the timeline of when will Nephis reach this place and liberate it to siege the spire, at that time he's only thought was to survive. I was lost so lost and confused even with the memories of the previous Echo. But when I saw the trio in front of me, I knew it wont be long before I can get out of here, but still I wont just stay idle and let everything play out the same way it did, if I can make the things move faster than they should then, I would.' Echo looked up to the sky and saw the sun break the bleak and grim dark skies fade. 

When he entered the house, he saw Nephis moving on and about cooking the last bit of meat left from his hunt. 

'It went out fast, well given that 2 of us are eating it, its a given that it won't last that long, I was only also able to carry a handful since I was injured.' He thought. 

"Hi, Neph early as always." Echo waved. 

Nephis looked away from her cooking for a second and said.

"Ohh, you're here I'm about to serve breakfast just wait for a bit." Nephis quickly return to stirring the soup she was cooking.

"It seems like we are running low on food how about we hunt later in the afternoon." Echo suggested as he sat by the table.

 "We can but let's talk to Effie first." Nephis said as she served the food. 

Echo's face became a little complicated and said. 

"Yeah, I think that would be best. But I thought you'll wait for Sunny and Cassie to return." 

Nephis didn't seem bothered and said.

"We can fill them in once they return from the castle."

"I see." Echo seemed a bit hesitant to face Effie and just swallowed the food and his mouth and decided to what ever happens will be up for the future him, which is only a couple of hours away.