Chapter 14: Shadows in the Heart
Tia sat in silence, staring at the Riftwood Watch in her trembling hands. The fire in the cave had burned low, casting long, flickering shadows against the stone walls. Kian kept a watchful eye on her, but even his presence couldn't silence the storm in her heart.
She felt hollow. The encounter in the forest had opened wounds she thought she had buried. Seeing her mother, even if it was an illusion, had ripped through her like a jagged blade.
"Why is it always me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kian turned to her, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"
Tia shook her head, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Why am I the one carrying this? The Rift, the watch, the endless fighting… I didn't ask for any of this."
Kian didn't reply immediately. He knelt beside her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "No one asks for pain, Tia. But you're stronger than you think. Strong enough to bear it."
She let out a bitter laugh, her tears spilling over. "Strong? You saw me out there. I almost gave in. I wanted to believe so badly that she was real. I wanted to hold her again, just for a moment."
Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in her hands. "It hurts, Kian. It hurts so much."
Kian's grip tightened. He understood pain; his own past was a tapestry of scars and regrets. But seeing Tia like this, so vulnerable, so human, struck a chord deep within him.
"I know it does," he said softly. "But you're not alone. Not anymore."
Tia looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. "You say that, but what if I let everyone down? What if I make the wrong choices and this whole thing collapses because of me?"
Kian hesitated. He didn't have easy answers, and he refused to give her empty platitudes. "You might make mistakes," he admitted. "We both will. But we keep going. Not because it's easy, but because we don't have a choice. Giving up isn't an option."
His words hung in the air, heavy and raw. Tia wiped her face with the sleeve of her tunic, her breaths ragged.
"I miss her," she murmured. "Every day, I miss her. And now, it feels like even the memories are tainted because of the Rift."
Kian nodded, his own throat tightening. "I miss people too. My family, my friends… they're gone, and I carry that weight every day. But do you know what I've learned?"
Tia looked at him, her eyes searching.
"That pain we feel? It means they mattered. It means they're still with us, in a way. The Rift can twist that, but it can't take it away. Not unless we let it."
Tia swallowed hard, his words sinking into her like stones. She wanted to believe him, but the ache in her chest felt insurmountable.
They sat in silence for a long moment, the only sounds the crackle of the fire and the distant rustle of the wind.
Then, a soft, hesitant voice broke the quiet. "Tia?"
They both turned sharply toward the cave entrance. A young girl stood there, her face pale and smudged with dirt. She couldn't have been older than twelve, her clothes torn and her eyes wide with fear.
"Who are you?" Kian asked, rising to his feet.
The girl hesitated, her gaze flicking between them. "My name is Mara. I've been following you. Please, I need help."
Tia stood slowly, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Following us? Why?"
Mara stepped closer, her small hands clutching something tightly to her chest. "Because of this," she said, revealing a shard of glowing crystal.
Tia's breath caught. The crystal pulsed faintly, its light eerily similar to the Riftwood Watch.
"Where did you get that?" Tia asked, her voice urgent.
Mara's lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes. "It… it killed my family. They said it would save us, but it didn't. The shadows came, and they…"
Her words dissolved into sobs, and Tia rushed forward, pulling the girl into a gentle embrace.
"It's okay," Tia whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You're safe now. We'll figure this out together."
As Mara clung to her, Tia felt a surge of protectiveness, mingled with a deep, painful understanding. This child had lost everything, just like she had.
Kian watched them silently, his expression unreadable. He knew this moment would change everything. They weren't just fighting for themselves anymore.
The watch on Tia's wrist pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging the weight of what lay ahead.
"We need to move," Kian said finally. "If the shadows are after her, they'll come for us too."
Tia nodded, her jaw tightening. She wasn't sure where this path would lead, but one thing was clear: she couldn't let Mara face the Rift alone.
The three of them stepped out into the night, the forest stretching endlessly before them. Tia's heart was heavy, but for the first time in a long time, it burned with purpose.
She wasn't just surviving anymore. She was fighting—fighting for herself, for Kian, for Mara, and for every soul the Rift sought to claim.