Low on the horizon, the sun sent a blood-red glow over the rocky peaks encircling the stronghold of the Dark Sect. Sitting at the brink of the outer wall, Kael had his wounded hand covered with coarse fabric. The dull aching from his broken finger reinforced Shen's lesson, but the anguish in his head took center stage.
Shen's words reverberated constantly: *Emotion is the enemy.* Still, Kael couldn't quell the flame of skepticism and resentment inside him no matter how often he repeated the phrase. His thoughts turned to the girl he had observed on the trip, her golden hair glistening like sunlight peeking through the worst tempest. Why had she so profoundly touched him? What was it about her that seemed to shatter the carefully constructed barriers he had built?
"Kael."
Turning rapidly, he tensed his body to identify Lian's voice. She walked toward him in steady steps, her black robes merging perfectly with the approaching evening shadows. Her eyes darted to his bandaged hand, a small smile flickering on her lips.
Stopping a few meters apart, she continued, "Father's methods are as brutal as ever."
Kael answered slowly, his eyes back toward the horizon. "What do you want, Lian?"
"To talk," she said, just sitting next to him. You're not focused. It is risky.
Kael laughed without any sense of humor. Here, danger is the only constant.
Lian slanted her head to examine him. You know, you are unlike the others. To please my father, most of them would break every bone in their bodies. But you are different.
Kael's jaw stiffened. "Different is not survival here."
Yet here you are, Lian said, her voice lower now. "Kael, what are you thinking about? Haunted you is what?
He hesitated, his senses alerting him against too much disclosure. But Lian looked at something—a blend of curiosity and sincerity—that disarmed him.
"During my last mission," he said softly. "I saw someone," a little one. She brought me some memories. Alternatively, she reminded me of someone else.
Lian changed her expression to show curiosity. "Who?" asks
Kels shook his head. " I'm not sure. It seems like a memory I cannot completely hold. Still, it haunts me from the rear of my mind.
Lian stood still for a moment, staring far away. She replied then, "Maybe it's not just a memory." Perhaps that is a bit of who you are.
Kadel scowled. It makes no difference who I am. My weapon is me. I don't need anything else.
"That's what my father wants you to believe," Lian responded, her voice stern. Still, Kael, you are more than that. I see it in you even though you do not.
Kael turned to face her, his gaze narrowing. "Why do you give importance?" From here, what do you get?
Lian looked at him without wavering. Perhaps I'm simply naturally curious. Alternatively, I could be bored seeing my father shape people into something they are not.
Kael looked at her for a long time, attempting to find her actual goals. At last he added, "Curiosity can get you killed here."
Lian grinned, but her eyes glittered with something more—an emotion that teetered between rebellion and comprehension. "So can silence," she added in a low, steady voice. "But the choice of the defeated and the broken is quiet." Speaking out exposes you to potential dangers. If you remain silent, you expose yourself to further risk. Kael, choose your poison wisely, but remember, in the right hands, even poison can serve as a remedy.
+/−
Kael's mind stayed with the talk with Lian as he went back to his lodgings. Though he didn't know why, her comments really resonated. Years of emotional repression have buried every bit of humanity under layers of discipline and distance. However, Lian found himself questioning the lessons he had received.
Sleep escaped him as he lay on the frigid, firm cot. His thoughts returned to the child from his assignment and the ephemeral recollections she had set off. Pictures of golden light and a girl's laughter danced in his mind, blending with the shadows of his current life. Two universes seemed to be battling for control inside him.
He came out of his dream with a strong knock at the door. He got up, and his hand went naturally for the dagger under his pillow.
"Kael," came Shen's voice, icy and commanding. Send a report to the council chamber. now.
Kael plummeted in her heart. Shen's summoning never indicated anything positive. His mind running with options, he hurriedly changed and headed toward the chamber.
The dimly lit council room produced spooky shadows on the stone walls from the flickering flames. Shen, standing at the front of the room, exuded the same might as always. Several senior sect members surrounded him, their faces covered by hoods.
"Kael," Shen murmured, his voice resonating throughout the chamber. Our goal is for you. We will test your resolve and loyalty.
Kael moved forward, his face inscrutable. "What is the objective, Master?"
Shen's lips drew into a thin, menacing smile. A healer from a nearby cult has disrupted our plans. Rumor has it he has a formula for the Soul Rebirth Pill, a secret that might destroy all we have created. You are to verify the existence of this formula and, should it be real, eradicate him and get it back. Don't return empty-handed.
Kael gave no outward indication of his discomfort, yet his chest constricted. "We're going to finish it."
"Good," Shen replied, his voice devoid of any possibility for uncertainty. "Don't let me fail, Kael." There will not be acceptance for failure.
Kael bowed and walked out of the chamber, his mind spinning with contradictory ideas. He felt as he got ready for the expedition that this was more than just another job. Though not mentioned, the healer's name seemed strangely important, as though it connected to the bits of recollection that tormented him.
Joined by another student whose name he hardly noticed in the mist of his ideas, he tightened on his weapons and entered the night. Shen had selected this friend—a calculating man with keen eyes and an even keener blade—to guarantee the success of the mission. Along with the underlying conflict between Kael and his partner, the weight of his work pressed fiercely on his shoulders. Despite the physical and metaphorical darkness, the path ahead was unambiguous; Kael was certain that this quest would fundamentally alter everything.