I had the answers I needed for now, but they only led to more questions. My existence as the "Watcher born of two flames" was not just an anomaly; it was a catalyst. A spark that could ignite the kingdom in a blaze of salvation or consume it in a fire of destruction. I had to get out of here, back to Hei Hei, to find somewhere safe where I could think and plan my next move.
I turned and slipped back through the window, feeling the weight of the old library's secrets pressing down on me. The climb down the oak tree was quicker than the ascent. My muscles trembled with exhaustion and adrenaline as I moved from branch to branch, my breath coming in shallow gasps. The night was growing colder, the wind sharper, biting at my skin as I made my way back to the alley where Hei Hei waited.
Hei Hei was there, exactly where I'd left her, her eyes gleaming in the darkness. She looked at me with a calm understanding, a silent sentinel in the night. I could see her muscles twitching under her skin, as if she could sense the turmoil coursing through me. "Let's go, Hei Hei," I whispered, mounting her in one fluid motion. "We have a lot to figure out."
I gave her a gentle nudge, and she started moving, her steps light and sure. We navigated the winding streets, staying in the shadows, away from the main thoroughfares. The city was still under the cover of night, but it wouldn't be long before dawn broke, and the palace guards would notice the open window or find some clue of my intrusion. I needed to put distance between myself and this place.
As Hei Hei carried me through the twisting alleyways, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was on the brink of change. The prophecy, the ancient darkness, the Watcher's weakness—it all seemed to be converging into a single point, and I was at the center of it. What role I was meant to play, I still didn't know. But I could no longer deny the truth of my blood, my birth, or my purpose.
We rode in silence for a while, the only sounds the soft clatter of Hei Hei's hooves on the cobblestones and the distant echoes of the city stirring in its sleep. My thoughts were a tangled mess of fear, uncertainty, and a growing resolve. I had come back to this kingdom seeking answers about my mother, about my past. Now, it seemed, I had been thrown into a much larger conflict—one that could decide the fate of us all.
For centuries, the kingdom had believed that only a male Watcher could wield the power necessary to keep *Mal'karath* at bay. But what if that belief was wrong? What if it was a crutch that had allowed the darkness to fester in the first place? What if the kingdom needed a Watcher who could see beyond the old ways, who could harness a different kind of power?
I had no magic, no inherited gift like the Watchers of old. But maybe that was why I was needed. Maybe I was meant to break the cycle.
I glanced down at Hei Hei, her movements fluid and deliberate. She wasn't just a horse—she was something more, this I was sure of. I had sensed it from the beginning. She was different, like me. And maybe she was part of this prophecy too, a companion chosen by fate.
"Where do we go from here, Hei Hei?" I whispered, more to myself than to my horse. Hei Hei flicked an ear back, but her focus remained straight ahead, as if she already knew the path we were supposed to take. I tried to clear my mind, but the weight of everything I had learned in the palace library pressed heavily on me.
As we rode deeper into the labyrinth of narrow alleys, I began to feel the creeping sense that something wasn't right. Shadows moved in the periphery of my vision, slipping between doorways, darting behind corners. I tried to shake it off, at first mistaking them for figments of my overworked imagination—or worse, the darkness already spreading across the kingdom.
But as we turned another corner, Hei Hei stopped abruptly. My heart pounded as I pulled back on the reins, scanning the street. The wind carried faint whispers—urgent, hurried. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I strained to make out the words but couldn't, only catching the unmistakable tone of pursuit. My chest tightened.
That's when I saw it—two figures, dressed in the unmistakable armor of palace guards, slipping through the alley behind me. They were hunting someone.
Me.
Without hesitation, I whispered, "We need to move, Hei Hei." She responded instantly, darting forward into a brisk trot as we wove through the tangled streets of the lower district. My mind raced. I had been careful, hadn't I? But clearly, I had underestimated them. The palace guards must have seen me slip through the window or sensed something was wrong after my escape.
I tightened my grip on Hei Hei's reins. "Faster," I urged.
Behind me, the guards shouted. I could hear the clattering of their armor, the quickening of their pace. They were closing in. Panic threatened to overtake me, but I shoved it down. I couldn't afford fear. Not now.
Hei Hei, ever attuned to danger, broke into a full gallop, her hooves thundering against the cobblestones as we shot down a narrow street. The wind whipped my face, carrying the distant cries of the guards. They weren't far behind. I glanced over my shoulder—three guards now, all gaining on us with alarming speed.
"Not today," I muttered. My mind raced. These streets were a maze, but I knew them better than they did. With Hei Hei's speed and instincts, we could lose them.
I yanked the reins sharply to the right, guiding Hei Hei into an even narrower alley between two buildings. It was a tight fit, but Hei Hei moved like a shadow, slipping between the crumbling walls without hesitation. I could hear the guards struggling to keep up, their heavy boots stumbling against the uneven ground.
As we emerged from the alley, I spotted a cart of old barrels stacked haphazardly near the street corner. With no time to think, I leaned low in the saddle and knocked one over with my foot. The barrels crashed to the ground, rolling wildly into the path of the guards.
I heard one of them curse loudly as they tripped and tumbled over the barrels, the noise of the collapse echoing down the street. It bought us the few precious seconds we needed.
I urged Hei Hei forward, pushing her faster as we tore through the dark streets. The city was slowly waking, but we couldn't slow down. My heart raced as I kept my ears open for any sign of pursuit. After several more twists and turns, the sounds of the guards faded into the distance. We had finally lost them.
Breathless, I pulled Hei Hei to a stop near a rundown blacksmith's shop at the edge of the district. I had no money left and no safe place to rest. But I noticed a small opening beneath the blacksmith's workshop, just large enough for someone to crawl through and stay hidden for the night.
Dismounting, I gave Hei Hei a quick pat. "Good girl," I whispered. She nuzzled me gently in response, her steady presence calming the last of my nerves.
I found a quiet corner behind the workshop where Hei Hei could rest for the night, hidden away from prying eyes. After making sure she was secure, I squeezed through the small gap beneath the blacksmith's shop, curling up in the darkness. The ground was hard and cold, but exhaustion finally took over.
As I closed my eyes, the events of the night flickered in my mind—the prophecy, the guards, the chase. For now, I had escaped. But I knew the danger wasn't over. Tomorrow, I would need to find a way to disappear again, to stay one step ahead.
But for tonight, I let sleep take me.