The night was too quiet.
Kael's legs felt like they were moving through water as he stumbled down the narrow path behind Meryl's house, the darkness closing in around him. Every step felt heavier than the last, each breath more laboured. His body still thrummed with the memory of that power—wild, uncontrollable, and terrifying.
He couldn't stop thinking about it. That flame—white and hot, it had erupted from somewhere deep within him, almost like it had a mind of its own. He hadn't called it. He hadn't wanted it. But in that instant, it had saved him.
Or had it?
The wind picked up, carrying a chill that clung to his skin. Valaris had always felt cold at night, but this was different. The village felt haunted now, as if the shadows themselves were watching. Kael glanced back at the path behind him. He half-expected to see that strange figure, the Essence-Wielder, emerge from the darkness, still wrapped in that shimmering black aura. But the path was empty, the ruins of Valaris silent and still.
"Keep moving," Meryl urged, her voice sharp but quiet. She was a few steps ahead, her crooked frame barely visible in the dim light of the half-moon. "We don't have time to linger."
Kael wanted to ask where they were going, but the words felt too heavy in his throat. His mind was still reeling, not just from what had happened, but from the weight of the decision he was now facing. Leave Valaris? The idea of walking away from the only home he'd ever known filled him with a deep, gnawing dread.
But staying wasn't an option, either.
"What was that, Meryl?" Kael finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "That… thing inside me. How did I do that?"
Meryl didn't look back. Her pace quickened, as if she didn't want to answer. "I told you, I don't know," she muttered. "Essence doesn't just appear in people like us. Not out here. Not in these forgotten places."
"Then why me?" Kael's voice cracked with frustration. He could still feel the echoes of that raw energy pulsing under his skin, like a fire waiting to ignite again. "I've never even seen Essence before. Now, all of a sudden, I can—"
"Shh!" Meryl spun around, her gnarled hand clamping over his mouth. She pressed him against the wall of a crumbling building, her eyes scanning the dark alleys around them. For a long moment, they stood in silence, the only sound Kael could hear was his own ragged breathing.
The seconds stretched out, the night seeming to hold its breath.
After what felt like an eternity, Meryl let him go, her voice barely a whisper. "You need to be careful. There are worse things than raiders lurking around. And if anyone hears you talking like that… they'll start to wonder."
Kael swallowed hard. His heart was pounding, the adrenaline still surging through his veins. He couldn't shake the feeling that the village wasn't as empty as it seemed. That something, or someone, was out there, watching.
"Why are you helping me?" he asked, his voice softer now, less urgent. The question had been gnawing at him ever since Meryl had pulled him from the square. She could have left him there. She could have turned him in to the elders. But instead, she was leading him away, hiding him.
Meryl's face softened, though the hard edge in her eyes remained. "Because you're not the first one to lose control of something powerful," she said quietly. "And you won't be the last."
They continued down the narrow alleyway, the dilapidated buildings looming over them like silent sentinels. Kael's thoughts churned in his mind. Lose control? What had happened to Meryl, and why did she seem so afraid? He had always known her as the village healer, a woman who rarely spoke unless it was to give orders or offer remedies. But there was something in her voice tonight—something far more personal than Kael had ever heard from her.
"Is there really nowhere else I can go?" Kael asked, his voice small.
Meryl stopped at the end of the alley, her gaze fixed on the open street ahead. "You could stay," she said softly, her tone almost regretful. "But you won't survive here. Not with that power inside you. Not with people asking questions."
Kael stared at the ground. He had always been an outsider in Valaris, never truly fitting in. But this? This was different. People didn't fear him before. Now, if they found out…
"I don't even know what this power is," Kael murmured. "How am I supposed to control it?"
Meryl turned to him, her face set in a grim line. "That's why you need to find Zerith Kade."
The name struck Kael like a physical blow. "Kade? The rogue Essence-Wielder?"
"You've heard of him, then," Meryl said, a shadow of a smile crossing her lips. "Good. That'll make this easier."
Kael's mind spun. Zerith Kade was a legend, a name whispered in stories meant to frighten children. He was said to have once been a powerful Essence-Wielder, but something had gone wrong. No one knew what, exactly, but the stories all agreed on one thing: Kade was dangerous. Deadly.
"Why would he help me?" Kael asked, incredulous. "Why would someone like him care about someone like me?"
Meryl shrugged. "Because you're not the only one cursed with power you don't understand." She glanced over her shoulder, as if to make sure they were still alone. "Kade disappeared years ago. But he's out there, somewhere. The only question is whether you can find him before someone else finds you."
Kael's heart sank. The weight of everything Meryl was telling him pressed down on him like a physical force. He was leaving. He had to. There was no other way.
But where did that leave him? Alone, chasing a ghost in the wilderness, with a power he didn't understand and a target on his back.
"Do I have a choice?" Kael asked, though he already knew the answer.
Meryl shook her head. "None of us ever do."