"Oh calm down, you were having a panic attack" The stranger replied
"That doesn't answer my questions!" Maze yelled
"Who are you and what do you want? Why are you here?"
"Sorry to scare you but the name's Kaelen, I'm Xandros's son, I've been watching you for a while and I've heard a lot about you" Kaelen said walking around as he spoke
"Xandros never mentioned he had a child not even a son like yourself" Maze said looking at him
"Well he has two kids Kaelen which is me and Lunara my kid sister, she's about thirteen hundred years old just like you are" Kaelen replied
"How come you are here?" She asked
"Like I said I've been watching you for a while now starting from the very first day my father came here, I tailed him and figured out he was here, I overheard your conversation with him and everything, I even saw that demon kill that imposter last time" he said shrugging as he picked an apple
"I saw you struggling in your sleep just now and decided to help, and that brings me to my own question" he said looking at her "why were you having a panic attack just now?" He asked
Maze glared at the stranger, her fists clenched. "Why were you watching me? Who gave you the right to spy on me like that?"
Kaelen smirked and leaned casually against a tree. "I wouldn't call it spying. I'd call it… observing. I was curious."
"Curious? About what?" she snapped.
"You, obviously. The so-called chosen one," he replied, biting into the apple he had picked earlier. "I wanted to see what made you so special." He said looking at her "don't look at me like that like you don't know what I'm talking about, I heard my father call you the chosen one countless times"
Maze's eyes narrowed. "And? Did you find what you were looking for?"
Kaelen chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Not yet. You're… complicated. But I'll admit, watching you fight to meditate and know your powers has been interesting within the couple of days."
"Interesting?" Maze repeated, her voice rising. "My struggles are not your entertainment, Kaelen. You have no idea what I'm going through."
"Maybe not," he admitted, taking another bite of the apple. "But that's why I'm here. I want to know. What happened to you just now, for instance? That panic attack, it wasn't just a dream. It was something deeper than a dream, more of a trance or something."
Maze hesitated, crossing her arms defensively. "That's none of your business."
Kaelen shrugged. "Fair enough. But you might want to figure it out soon. Panic attacks like that could get you killed, especially with enemies lurking around every corner."
"Is that a threat?" she asked, her voice cold.
Kaelen's smirk faded, and his expression turned serious. "No. It's a warning. You're not as alone as you think, Maze. There are eyes everywhere, and not all of them are friendly."
Maze studied him, trying to gauge his intentions. "Why are you really here, Kaelen? What do you want from me?"
Kaelen met her gaze evenly. "To help. Whether you trust me or not, that's up to you."
Silence hung between them, broken only by the sound of Kaelen tossing his apple core into the bushes. "Think about it," he said, turning to leave. "I'll be around, I don't want my dad catching me here."
"Wait!" Maze called, but Kaelen had already disappeared into the trees. As soon as he left a knock came on the door and Xandros walked in, Maze swallowed hard
"How did he know his dad was close?" She thought to herself
"Master!" Xandros called
"Xandros you have to stop calling me 'Master,' my name is Mazikeen or you can call me Maze, I don't want anyone finding out I have a clue about my powers till I return back home, okay?" She said
"Yes" Xandros replied
"Very well then, please take a sit" Maze said pointing at a sit
"Are you okay Maze, you have a cold towel on your forehead" Xandros asked
"I had a nightmare" she simply said
"Was it bad? What was it like?" Xandros asked
"It was a dream but it was more like a trance and before you ask, everything was blurry, I couldn't make anything out of it" Xandros didn't say another word it was like he was in a thought
"I'm leaving" Maze said breaking his thoughts
"Wha... What?!" He asked his eyes wide
"I'm leaving the mountain, I'm going back to my realm"
"You are yet to complete your cultivation Maze" Xandros said, his voice trembling
"I have to go back home and find out how to unlock my core, I can't continue to live like this when the realm is falling apart, I mean we fight each other all the time when I can bring back peace to us all, I have the powers and what it takes, I just have to unlock it and make the right decisions" Maze said
"You are right, you have what it takes but you aren't ready, it's going to be dangerous" Xandros said
"That is why I have called you tonight, you and Kairos will help me if anything goes wrong, you will protect me, I'm counting on you both" Maze said smiling faintly
"Yes master!" Xandros said bowing lightly, he wanted to persuade her to stay back but this is the only chance she's got but he could feel it deep down, it's going to be dangerous for her.
"I've got a question to ask" Xandros said, he was feeling guilty he couldn't keep that question lingering in his heart or it would haunt him forever if anything goes wrong
Maze adjusted the cold towel on her forehead as Xandros hesitated, his gaze filled with worry. She watched him carefully, knowing he had more to say.
"Why now, Maze?" Xandros finally asked. "Why leave when you're so close to completing your cultivation? You've waited fifty years—what's a few more?"
Maze sighed, placing the towel on the table beside her. "Because time isn't something we have anymore, Xandros. The realms have torn themselves apart. I can't sit and pretend like I don't know about my powers and destiny anymore when I actually do." she said