Chapter 18: The Core's Whisper
The group pressed forward, the oppressive weight of the Red Veil fading behind them. Kaylen stumbled slightly as they moved through the barren wasteland, his body heavy with exhaustion. The Ember Core pulsed in his hand, its energy stronger and more volatile than ever. He could feel the power of the fragment fused within it, but it wasn't just strength he sensed—there was something else, something deeper.
"Keep up, Kaylen," Eryn called, glancing back. "We're not out of danger yet."
"I'm fine," Kaylen muttered, though his legs felt like lead. The Core hummed louder, its warmth spreading through his chest in a way that was both comforting and unnerving. He tightened his grip on it, willing the energy to settle.
Solas slowed their pace, falling in beside him. "The Core feels different, doesn't it?"
Kaylen nodded, his voice low. "It's… louder. Like it's trying to tell me something."
Solas's gaze sharpened. "That's the fragment. Its power amplifies the Core, but it also carries its own will. Be careful, Kaylen. The line between wielding the Core and being consumed by it is thinner than ever."
Kaylen didn't respond. He couldn't shake the feeling that Solas was right. The Core's energy seemed to pulse in time with his thoughts, as if it was alive. And the whispers—faint, unintelligible, but persistent—had begun to gnaw at the edges of his mind.
---
By nightfall, they found shelter in the remnants of an old outpost. The structure was little more than a crumbling stone tower, but it offered protection from the cold wind that howled across the wasteland. Eryn lit a small fire in the center of the room, the flickering flames casting long shadows on the walls.
Kaylen sat apart from the group, staring at the Ember Core as it pulsed faintly in his hand. The whispers were growing louder, the fragment's presence pressing against his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to focus, but the images came unbidden—flashes of light, fragments of a shattered world, and voices that spoke of power and destruction.
"What's it saying?" Eryn asked, breaking the silence.
Kaylen glanced up, startled. "What?"
"The Core," Eryn said, their tone neutral. "You're staring at it like it's talking to you. Is it?"
Kaylen hesitated, then nodded. "I don't know what it's saying, but… it's there. Like it's alive."
Eryn exchanged a glance with Solas, who stepped forward, their expression unreadable. "It's not alive, Kaylen," Solas said. "But it carries the will of what it once was—a fragment of something far greater. The more you use it, the stronger that will becomes."
"And what happens when it gets too strong?" Kaylen asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Solas's gaze darkened. "You lose yourself."
---
Sleep didn't come easily that night. Kaylen lay on his back, the Core resting on the ground beside him. Its glow bathed the room in faint light, the whispers blending with the crackle of the fire. He closed his eyes, but the moment he drifted off, the dreams began.
He was standing in an endless void, the air heavy with a palpable energy. Before him stood a figure shrouded in shadow, their form flickering like a dying flame. Their voice echoed around him, distorted but commanding.
"You carry the weight of creation," the figure said. "A power born from the ashes of a forgotten age. Do you understand what it means?"
Kaylen tried to speak, but his voice wouldn't come. The figure stepped closer, their presence overwhelming.
"The Core is not a gift—it is a burden. It will consume you if you are weak. But if you are strong… it will remake you."
The figure raised a hand, and the void around them shattered like glass. Kaylen fell into darkness, his mind spinning as the whispers grew deafening.
---
Kaylen jolted awake, his breath ragged. The room was quiet, the fire reduced to embers. He glanced at the Core, its glow steady but brighter than before.
"Bad dream?" Eryn's voice broke the silence. They were sitting by the fire, their blade resting on their lap.
Kaylen nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Something like that."
Eryn studied him for a moment before speaking. "The Core's changing you, isn't it?"
Kaylen looked down at the artifact, its hum vibrating through his hand. "I don't know. Maybe. But I can't stop now. If I let it control me, we lose. If I give up, the Hunters win. Either way…"
"You're screwed," Eryn finished, a faint smirk tugging at their lips. "Sounds about right."
Kaylen managed a weak laugh, though the weight of the Core pressed heavily on his chest. "Yeah. Pretty much."
Eryn's smirk faded, their tone turning serious. "Whatever happens, don't lose sight of who you are. The Core might take a lot, but it can't take everything—unless you let it."
Kaylen nodded, the faint echo of the figure's words still ringing in his ears. "I won't."
---
As dawn broke, the group set out again, their path leading toward the ruins of the next city. The whispers in Kaylen's mind had faded, but they lingered at the edges of his thoughts, a constant reminder of the Core's power—and the cost of wielding it.
Every step forward brought them closer to the truth. But Kaylen couldn't shake the feeling that the more he learned, the more dangerous the Core would become.
And the more he feared what it might reveal.