The healer's house stayed silent in the hours after Kael fell, but the air within was tense. Cross-legged by the hearth, Yue watched the two unconscious forms flutter. A little peace came from her father's consistent breathing while he slept in his chair, but her thoughts would not soothe her.
Kael's mysterious comments stayed with her. shadows knowing his name. A figure he'd seen in the jungle haunted him. Yue's caution battled her curiosity. Who was this man, and what secrets did he harbour?
A slight grunt broke the silence, yanking Yue from her meditations. She turned to find Kael whirling, his brows wrinkling as he fought to sit up.
Rising to her feet and crouching next to him, Yue murmured, "You shouldn't move yet." "You still hurt."
Kael's dark depths, shrouded with uncertainty, matched hers. His voice hoarse, he questioned, "Where am I?"
You're safe, Yue said. After you passed out, my father and I took you here.
Kael turned his head around the room to survey his surroundings. He tried to move his arm, winced, and Yue steadied his hand on his shoulder. "Don't," she said with enormous conviction. "You will rip the stitches."
He moaned and sank back onto the mat. "Thank you," he said, although his voice had an edge of reluctance.
Yue briefly watched him, her interest mounting. You said shadows, she said gently. "What was your intended message?"
Kael turned his head aside, and his face darkened. "You need not be concerned about anything."
Not sure? Pressing was Yue. "You half-dead and fainted in the wilderness, muttering about unreal events. That sounds not at all like nothing.
Kael stiffened his jaw but said nothing. Yue wrinkled her nose, irritation boiling inside her. It was strange to be ignored, and his evasiveness made her more determined to find the truth.
The physician moved in his chair, wiping his eyes as he woke before she could push farther. "Yue?" he asked gently, his voice weary.
Rising to her feet, "I'm here, Father," she said. "Kael is awake.
Approaching with a keen eye to evaluate Kael's condition, the healer said, "You are lucky to be alive," he replied. "Your injuries were severe."
Kael nodded, though his demeanour was still wary. He said softly, "Thank you for saving me."
The healer waved a hand contemptuously. "There is no need for gratitude." But I would like to know what happened. Why were you and your friend in the jungle?
Kael stopped, his eyes darting to Yue and then back to the healer. "We were dispatched to look at claims of the Soul rebirth formula," he said.
Breath seized, and Yue looked at her father—whose face had turned white. "What is the Soul Rebirth Formula?" The healer repeated, his voice low.
Kael nodded. Word has got out that someone here is knowledgeable enough to create it. The head of my sect sought to verify whether the stories were accurate.
Yue felt a shiver run down her spine as the healer's face grew austere. Though her father had always disregarded them as deadly nonsense, she had heard murmurs of the formula before. Hearing it discussed so freely now seems like a sinister turn.
The physician asked, his tone perfectly neutral: "And did you find what you were looking for?"
K Elaine shook his head. None. But we came onto something else as well. Something that ought not to exist.
"The shadows??" Unable to keep the inquiry limited, Yue interrupted.
Kael nodded even though his eyes slightly narrowed. Surely. They defied all I have ever seen. They moved deliberately, as though they were still living. And one of them talked to me.
"Spoke to you? The healer repeated, his voice faintly incredulous.
Kael's jaw stiffened. "It referred to my name. They knew facts about me that nobody else ought to know.
The room went quiet as his words sank down upon them. Yue looked at her father, whose face had darkened. "Father," she murmured cautiously. "What does this signify?"
Shaking his head, the healer looked far away. He conceded, "I'm not sure." "But should what Kael says be accurate, we might be handling forces much beyond our comprehension."
Kael's eyes clouded, and his voice dropped. Regardless of the situation, I am not satisfied with it. I am not at peace with any of us.
Fear and will mixed together in Yue's racing heart. Despite not knowing what lay ahead, she was certain that something had permanently changed in their lives. And whatever shadows persisted on the horizon, they would confront each other simultaneously.