Kael repeated his question, his expression innocent yet curious.
"How do you know what your talent is?"
Alden stared at him for a moment, utterly taken aback.
"Wait... you mean you don't know your own talent?"
Kael shook his head, nonchalant as ever.
"Nope."
Alden blinked, floored by the response. Everyone naturally discovered their talent when their origin root awakened, so Kael's casual answer threw him off balance.
"You don't... know? At all?" Alden's voice was full of disbelief.
Kael shrugged.
"Nope."
Alden sat there, stunned by Kael's nonchalance. He knew the awakening ceremony had taken place almost a month ago, and given Kael's age, he should've awakened during that time as well. While some talents manifested in obvious ways, others were subtler. Perhaps Kael had the latter, but he should still know what his talent was. Unless...
"Did you check your Talent Crystal?" Alden asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.
Kael tilted his head.
"Talent Crystal? What's that?"
At this point, Alden didn't know what to think.
"After your origin root awakens, the priest is supposed to give you a crystal. Have you used it?"
Kael's eyes narrowed as he tried to recall the event. He vaguely remembered being handed a small crystal, but at the time, he was overwhelmed with despair. The weight of his damaged origin root had crushed any excitement for the ceremony, so he had brushed it aside, forgotten.
"Oh, you mean that crystal? I haven't used it yet. What's it for?"
Kael asked, still unconcerned.
"..."
Alden was speechless.
"That crystal acts like a switch that activates your talent. Our talents are part of our soul, dormant until our origin root awakens. Absorbing the Talent Crystal consolidates it with the origin root, unlocking your talent. You can then check the specifics of your talent through the crystal simply by willing it."
Kael blinked in surprise. He had no idea how important that little object had been. Thankfully he hadn't thrown that away. It was probably lying somewhere in his pile of materials, collecting dust. But even with this new information, Kael's expression didn't change much. His origin root was damaged anyways, rendering his talent useless as it probably wouldn't be consolidated..
"I see... Thanks for letting me know,"
Kael said with a polite smile.
"Happy to help," Alden replied, though his voice was still tinged with confusion.
Kael kept his damaged root a secret, and Alden didn't press him further about why he hadn't used the crystal. They both had their own secrets, and for now, they seemed content in minding their own business.
"Anyway, it's getting late," Kael said, yawning.
"I'm beat. All this learning wore me out."
"You go ahead," Alden replied.
"I'll recuperate a little more."
Kael nodded toward Remy, his lips curving into a playful smile
"You're on night watch, buddy"
Remy squeaked confidently,
'Leave it to me! I'll keep an eye on this suspicious human so he doesn't lay a finger on you!'
Kael sighed internally.
"Don't be rude to our guest, Remy. He didn't mean any harm."
'I'll be the judge of that'
Remy muttered, his beady eyes glinting with skepticism.
Shaking his head with an amused smile, Kael prepared the beds and quickly drifted into sleep, the events of the day leaving him exhausted. His breathing soon became steady, deep in slumber.
Only Remy and Alden remained, an awkward silence lingering in the air despite their earlier truce. They kept their distance, neither making an effort to break the uneasy atmosphere.
While Remy stood guard, ever-vigilant for threats, Alden sat cross-legged, focusing on his meditation to heal his battered body. After some time, he opened his eyes, glancing at the small creature loyally protecting Kael. Despite their rocky start, Alden couldn't help but admire Remy's devotion.
"I'm truly sorry for what I did earlier... especially with Kael," Alden said, his voice soft, filled with regret.
Remy shot him a sharp glance before returning his attention to his watch. The thought of what almost happened to Kael still haunted him. If he had been even a second later... Kael would've—
'If only I were stronger...'
Remy thought, his tiny form trembling with frustration.
Instinctively, Remy knew Alden was far stronger than him—by a large margin. They were lucky Kael had a connection with Alden, otherwise... Remy didn't want to imagine what could've happened. His heart pounded as he mulled over his own weakness.
On the other side of the camp, Alden was also plagued by guilt. Not only had he abandoned Kael in the past, but he had nearly hurt him again. The weight of his broken oath pressed heavily on him. He had once sworn to protect Kael, yet now, he was the one who had almost brought him harm. His heart ached, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a way to make amends.
Alden turned to face Remy again. He could sense the emotions radiating from the small creature—the frustration, the self-blame, the feeling of not being strong enough. Alden knew that feeling all too well.
The realization only made his guilt heavier. But as he watched Remy's determined form, something sparked in his mind. A way to make amends. A way to atone for his mistakes.
"I know what to do," Alden whispered to himself.