The village lights were a distant glow on the horizon as Aiden and Elara trudged down the rocky path, their footsteps crunching against gravel in the fading twilight. Neither spoke, the weight of their rejection heavy in the silence between them. Summoned to a foreign world with promises of power and destiny, only to be dismissed and discarded—left powerless and alone.
As they walked, Aiden stole a glance at Elara, her face set in a look of quiet determination. She was focused on the path, eyes fixed ahead, but he could tell from the tightness in her jaw that she was just as shaken as he was.
"Do you think the people in this village will let us stay?" Elara broke the silence without turning to look at him. Her voice was calm, but there was a thread of uncertainty beneath it.
"I don't know," Aiden replied, gripping his shoulder where the rough fabric of his tunic rubbed against the bruise left by a hard landing earlier. "They might have heard about… us. If the news spread."
The village loomed closer, and Aiden felt his own uncertainty grow. He'd been ready to fight demons, to wield some mysterious power, to fulfill the destiny he'd been promised. Instead, he'd been branded as useless, left with no powers, and no place to go.
They reached the first few houses on the village's edge, and a few flickers of candlelight could be seen through windows. Villagers went about their evening routines, unaware of the newcomers watching from the shadows. Aiden took a deep breath, glancing at Elara.
"We'll just keep our heads down," he said. "We're just two travelers passing through. No one needs to know we were summoned."
Elara nodded, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes. "Right. Just… travelers."
They approached a small inn nestled between two taller buildings, its sign swaying gently in the night breeze. Aiden felt the weariness of the day settle heavily on him. They could argue about what to do next once they had a roof over their heads.
He pushed the door open, and the sound of conversation and laughter spilled out. The inn was warm and crowded with locals sharing stories over mugs of ale, their voices a low murmur as they exchanged tales of hunts, farm work, and the occasional rumor of strange happenings in distant towns.
Elara lingered by the door as Aiden approached the innkeeper, a burly man with a thick beard and kind eyes. The innkeeper looked up from polishing a glass, eyeing the two of them with mild curiosity.
"Looking for a room?" he asked, his voice friendly but cautious.
"Yes, if you have one," Aiden replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
The innkeeper considered them for a moment, then nodded. "Got one room left, up the stairs. Two beds, not much else, but it's warm. Two silver coins for the night."
Aiden winced. They barely had enough to cover food, let alone lodgings, but Elara stepped forward, sliding the coins onto the counter without a word. The innkeeper nodded, handing her a small iron key.
"Second door on the left. If you need anything, just holler," he said, then turned back to his work.
As they climbed the narrow staircase, Elara let out a small sigh. "There goes half of what we had left."
"We'll find a way to earn more," Aiden said quietly. "Maybe they'll have work for us around here, something we can manage."
They found their room, a simple but clean space with two small beds and a washbasin. Aiden collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion settling over him like a heavy blanket. Elara sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her hands.
"Did you ever think…" she started, her voice barely above a whisper. "That we'd be sent here with nothing? That we'd be so… powerless?"
Aiden didn't have an answer. He felt it too—the ache of wanting to prove himself, the weight of disappointment that he couldn't shake. They'd both believed in the idea of destiny, of being something more. But now, cast aside, they were left with nothing but each other and a handful of dreams that felt further away with every passing moment.
"No," he said finally. "I thought… I thought we'd be different. Special." He laughed bitterly. "Guess they were wrong."
They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Elara spoke again, her voice stronger this time.
"But maybe we're still here for a reason," she said. "Maybe we're supposed to figure it out for ourselves. If we don't have powers, we'll make do with what we have. We're not useless."
Aiden looked over at her, the spark of determination in her eyes rekindling something in him. "You're right. We didn't come all this way just to give up now."
For the first time that night, Elara smiled, and Aiden felt a flicker of hope rise within him.