Charles felt lost. It had been a long time - many, many cycles, in fact, since he'd seen any of his family. To be honest, it almost felt like they had never been there, at this point. He'd made a life for himself. A bare life, only a small nest and a constant source of food, but it was enough to keep him alive. But nothing to keep him entertained or as driven as he'd been in his youth. Before all...all that had happened.

He spent his time sleeping or watching the wildlife. He could get up, maybe, and explore Eridanus more but...he simply didn't have the motivation to really do anything with himself. He was content with how his life was - it was a stress-free way of life, but it also wasn't exciting or a particularly happy existence.

But what else could he do? He was scared - scared of being alone and going places he'd never been. He was scared of the caves and only places like Eridanus where there was usually light and things to look at, where he never really felt alone, that he could feel some kind of security.

He sat in his nest, in a dip of a tree stump, and laid his head against his wings. There was no roof above his head - nothing to cast a dark shadow over his living space - but he felt safe here. There were at least a bit of wall around him to keep him out of the true "open". His eyes were open for a while, looking around at the branches above him, watching small birds flutter through the canopy, before they eventually slid closed, snoozing as peaceful as he could get, the smallest buzzing sound coming from his nose. A little bird snore, barely audible above the sounds of the forest.

He was a light sleeper, especially the huge bat ears, so of course the sound of someone else walking by would instantly jolt him back to reality. He stayed still, the soft clicking sound and the crunch of leaves and undergrowth under feet felt so loud in his ears. Once he was sure they had at least passed the trunk where he was resting, he ever so carefully looked over the edge.

What he saw wasn't anything that he expected. A familiar shape, one he wouldn't have been able to place immediately if they hadn't also been sporting similar bat ears, jet-black coloration, and wispy blue eyes. Shock held him in place for a moment and he wondered if he should just...let them continue on. No need to interact, right? The past was in the past and that was where it deserved to stay.

But...he couldn't. Not when a piece of him that felt lost was there, right there. Before he even processed he was doing in, Charles was climbing onto the edge of the trunk, gripping hard with long talons, and chirping out. "Hey....you. You ran in that shadow trial...right?"

Charles was quiet for a moment, briefly confused. Were they being cold on purpose? Did they not recognize him, or remember him? But surely the black feathers, bat ears, and glowing eyes gave them away as surely as the features did on Rainstorm. For a moment thoughts battered Charles' mind. Stupid, they don't wanna talk to someone from them. They don't wanna remember any more then you do. They lived and others died and you're a reminder, aren't you?

He didn't realize the vision problems in the other and had little to pull himself out of the sudden pitfall of self-loathing. He deflated and a small sigh escaped his beak. "Oh, um. I just thought you would...oh, nevermind. I'm sorry I reminded you." He let out a small, cruel laugh devoid of any amusement. "I don't like remembering, either."

He turned around to hope back into his treestump and curl up and hate himself more.

Charles kind of expected the bird to leave. He’d be alone with his thoughts and misery once again, but then there was the clatter of claws and suddenly the bird was in front of him, right in his space on the log, peering down at him with eyes that, a Charles realized then, might be blind or mostly blind.

That would explain why it didn’t recognize him.

He stared up at Rainstorm with surprise, for a moment afraid at someone getting so physically close. Nobody had been this close to him in so many cycles. Not since he had been with what remained of his family. A family that had now disappeared again.

”Y-yeah, I was there. My family we…we all ran it. We were raised to run it.” When Rainstorm backed off, Charles felt his breath return and he sat up properly, adjusting his wings to a more comfortable folded position. ”S-sorry. For…I don’t know, never mind. Um. I’m Charles. Sorry, I don’t remember your name.” He ducked his head, feeling a little ashamed, although he couldn’t be blamed. There was a lot more to worry about and remember besides runners in the trial that hadn’t been part of his family.

Round eyes blinked with surprise and Charles quickly shook his head. "No, don't say that. We are all important in our own right. It was just...very chaotic for us. At the time. We had other things to worry about. Like not dying." And saving each other, he thought, bitterly, although he pushed the thought away as forcefully as he could. Not the time, Charles.

The question didn't make Charles shy away, no, in fact it did the opposite. A fire burned behind his eyes, an anger and rage he hadn't felt for many cycles. His beak clacked sharply before he spat out, "The Masked Merchent." That disgusting traitor, the foul creature that had raised them, protected them, and then led them to slaughter. "We hatched together, all of us. We were raised together in a cave, isolated and alone, but we had each other. And then as soon as we were four cycles, he led us out into the cave. To run the Trial. And we...we were made to feed it, whatever that monster was. Our purpose was to die. It's sick." He shook his head, tail fluttering behind him.

He remembered those days, when he'd been so full of life and hope. When he wanted to explore and see everything the caves had to offer. But those days were long gone. Only haunting memories remained.