The night had not yet given way to daylight, and the woodland stayed covered in terrible quiet. Outside her father's house, Yue walked, her head whirling with unresolved questions. Arin's bloodied appearance and her father's cryptic warnings tormented her. Her eyes strayed towards the horizon, where the edge of the woodland seemed to absorb the little moonlight.
Inside, the healer put out enormous effort to steady Arin. The chamber smelt like medicinal plants, their bitter tang mixing with the metallic blood stench. The young man had a pale, tense face and shallow respiration. The healer's hands moved deliberately, his attention unbroken. Though her father had requested she leave the room, stating her presence would only increase the tension, Yue had wanted to stay and assist.
She tightened her hands, resentment rising inside her. When peril loomed so near, how could she be still? The sound of footfall crunching on the gravel road cut off her ideas. Head turned towards the commotion; Yue tensed her body.
Kael, was it?
Rising from the shadows, he had a beaten figure and ripped clothing. Blood soaked his tunic; his eyes darkened with tiredness. Still, his expression revealed something else: a subdued intensity as though he were bearing an unseen weight.
"You," Yue responded, her voice sharp. "What transpired outside? You are who?
Kael halted a few meters away and looked at her. He said nothing for a minute; his chest rose and fell with laboured breaths. Then he answered, "My name is Kael," in a voice worn with tiredness. His knees bucked, his speech stammered. As Yue dropped to the ground unconscious, his eyes grew wide in panic.
Yue hurried forward and knelt next to him. "Father!" she said, desperation in her voice. Moments later, the healer materialised at the doorway, his gaze narrowing as he surveyed the situation.
"Help me bring him inside," he ordered sharply.
They carried Kael into the house together and set him on a mat close to the hearth. The healer's skilled hands started evaluating Kael's injuries right away. Yue lingered close, her nervousness rising every second.
"He's seriously dehydrated and has lost a lot of blood," the healer said. Still, he's strong. Given prompt action, he will survive.
While her father worked, Yue watched, and her mind ran through questions. This dude was whose name is In the wilderness, what had he and Arin confronted? And when he claimed the shadows knew his name, what did he mean?
The healer attended to Kael for hours. The first ray of morning was cutting the horizon by the time he completed. Tired, the healer slanted back and dabbed his brow. "He's going to need rest, but for now his condition is stable.
Though she still felt uncomfortable, Yue nodded. She studied Kael's face and saw the faint lines of suffering carved into his features even in oblivion. She could not explain why, but something about him seemed familiar.
Arin swirled on the other mat, his sigh catching their notice. Moving to his side, relief washed over her as his eyes opened. She spoke gently, "Arin." You're waking.
Blinking at her, he looked confused. "Where... where am I??"
"You are safe," the healer said. Still, you have gone through a trauma. Calm down now. Later on there will be time for justifications.
Arin closed his eyes once again and nodded weakly. Standing and turning back to her father, Yue had a determined face. "You're not telling me everything," she said. "What's truly going on??"
The healer groaned, his shoulders dropping. "Yue, there are events happening here that go well beyond our experience thus far. These young men were dispatched to look at something risky—something that, should it get into the wrong hands, would endanger everyone.
"The Soul Rebirth Formula," Yue remarked, her voice just above a whisper.
The healer's eyes grew somewhat then focused inward. You know of it.
"Kael mentioned it before he passed out," Yue said. "Father, why haven't you destroyed this formula if it is so dangerous?
The healer's expression darkened. "You can't just erase some knowledge, Yue. It's a burden we must bear, not because we want to, but because we must."
Before Yue could press further, Kael stirred, a low groan escaping his lips. His eyes opened slowly, their dark depths filled with confusion and pain. Yue moved closer, her curiosity outweighing her caution.
"You're awake," she said, her tone guarded.
Kael's gaze shifted to her, then to the healer. "Arin… is he…?"
"He's alive," the healer assured him. "Thanks to Yue."
Kael's eyes returned to Yue, a flicker of gratitude breaking through his exhaustion. "Thank you."
Yue nodded, though her expression remained skeptical. "You said something last night… about shadows and a figure that knew your name. What did you mean?"
Kael's jaw tightened, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I don't know exactly what it was. But it wasn't human. It… it spoke to me as if it knew everything about me. My past, my fears, my… failures."
The room fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down on them. The healer exchanged a glance with Yue, his concern evident.
"Whatever it was," Kael continued, "it's still out there. We're not through with it yet.
The healer nodded gravely. "Then we must prepare. Rest for now, Kael. We'll face what's to come together."
Kael's eyes closed once more, his exhaustion overtaking him. Yue sat back, her mind churning with the implications of his words. The shadows may have retreated for now, but she knew they were far from gone. And as the morning light filtered through the windows, she couldn't shake the feeling that their trials were only beginning.