Caelum returned to camp that night, his mind clouded with doubt and confusion. Lyra and Alara were sitting by the fire, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames. They looked up as he approached, their expressions cautious but hopeful.
"Caelum," Lyra said softly, her voice filled with concern. "Where did you go? We were starting to worry."
Caelum didn't answer immediately. His thoughts were still consumed by the figure on the mountain, its words like a thorn embedded in his mind. How could he have been the heir of the Shadow King? How could the sword be his inheritance? It all seemed impossible, and yet, the strange sense of destiny that had always haunted him felt like it was becoming too real to ignore.
"I went for a walk," Caelum finally said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I needed some time to think."
Lyra didn't press him further, but Alara raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
Caelum hesitated. He didn't want to burden them with the weight of his newfound knowledge, but he knew he couldn't keep it to himself. "I met someone," he said quietly. "A figure on the mountain. They told me... they told me I'm the heir of the Shadow King."
Lyra's expression hardened, and Alara's eyes widened in disbelief. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, letting the weight of Caelum's words hang in the air.
"That's impossible," Alara finally said, shaking her head. "You're not the Shadow King's heir. That's just some trick to manipulate you."
Caelum's gaze dropped to the sword at his side, its dark blade gleaming in the firelight. "I don't know what to believe anymore. But I can't ignore what I felt. The sword—it's like it recognizes me. It's becoming stronger."
Lyra stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Caelum, whatever this figure said, don't let it define who you are. You are not the Shadow King. You are Caelum, and that's who you choose to be."
Caelum met her gaze, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Lyra was right, in a way. He wasn't the Shadow King. But the sword... it had its grip on him, and every day it became harder to deny.
"I don't know if I can fight this," Caelum admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can win."
Lyra squeezed his shoulder. "We'll help you. We'll figure this out together. But you can't do it alone."
Caelum nodded slowly, the warmth of her touch offering a small comfort in the face of the darkness that threatened to consume him. He wasn't alone. Not yet.
But the road ahead was uncertain, and he feared the day when he would have to choose between the man he was and the monster he feared he might become.