Whilst Kyon makes the decision with the clock ticking down, the world beyond moves with purpose.
Kadir paced the length of his dimly lit library, hands clasped tightly behind his back. The air was thick with the scent of aged paper and ink, the faint hum of Flux energy weaving through the room like a subtle undercurrent. Across from him, Elashir stood with a quiet intensity, his sharp features shadowed under the glow of the suspended chandelier.
"Do you understand the risk you're taking, Kadir?" Elashir's voice was a razor, cutting through the heavy silence. "This boy—this anomaly—is not just dangerous. He's an unknown. And unknowns have a way of turning the tides in disastrous directions."
Kadir stopped mid-step, turning to face the emissary. "Unknowns also pave the way for evolution, Elashir. Isn't that the essence of Flux? To push beyond limitations?"
Elashir's expression didn't waver. "Spare me the philosophy. This isn't about pushing limits—it's about survival. Tell me, Kadir, what do you think will happen if he takes blood?"
Kadir hesitated, though only for a fraction of a second. "He doesn't need blood. His Flux side sustains him. He eats human food. Lives as one of them. That's the balance we've seen so far."
A sharp, humorless laugh escaped Elashir. "Balance? How many half-vampires do you know that can subsist on human food alone? How many have you met that didn't eventually succumb to their baser instincts?" He stepped forward, his presence bearing down like a storm. "What happens, Kadir, when even a single drop of blood touches his lips? Do you honestly believe his Flux—this precious tether you hold so dear—will be enough to suppress what he truly is?"
"He's not a vampire," Kadir said, his voice steady but edged with steel.
"No," Elashir shot back, "he's worse. A half-breed with both halves vying for dominance. His Flux lets him walk in the sun—something no vampire can claim. And yet that same Flux makes him an even greater threat if his vampire side is awakened. A predator with the bane of his own kind coursing through his veins. Do you see where this leads?"
Kadir's jaw tightened. He turned away, staring at the rows of ancient tomes lining the walls. "I don't believe it will come to that."
"You hope it won't," Elashir corrected. "But tell me, what if it does? What if he feeds, and the vampire side takes hold, fused with the power of Flux? Do you know what that would make him? Something neither we nor the vampires could kill. An unstoppable force that humanity cannot afford. And if the vampires bind him to their cause—"
Kadir spun back to face him, his voice rising. "That's exactly why I'm training him! To keep him from falling into their hands! To show him another path before it's too late!"
"And if your gamble fails?" Elashir pressed, stepping closer. "If Williams Conrad, that relic of bloodlust and power, gets his claws into the boy? You think you can stop what comes next?"
There was a long, tense silence. The hum of Flux in the air seemed to still, as though even the energy itself held its breath.
Finally, Kadir spoke, his tone lower, measured. "I didn't bring Kyon into this world, but I've made him my responsibility. And yes, Elashir, I do think I can stop what comes next. Because I refuse to believe his fate is already written."
Elashir shook his head, his frustration palpable. "You're playing with forces you don't fully understand. The council will not wait forever, Kadir. They're already deliberating how to intervene. If the boy so much as stumbles—"
"Then I will answer for it," Kadir cut him off, his gaze hard. "Not you. Not the council. Me."
Elashir studied him for a long moment, his piercing eyes searching for something in Kadir's expression. At last, he sighed, his shoulders relaxing just slightly. "You've always been stubborn. I suppose that hasn't changed, even after all these years."
"Some things don't," Kadir replied, his tone lighter, though the tension between them remained.
Elashir moved toward the library's exit, pausing just before the door. "You should know this: the council is watching, Kadir. Closely. If you lose control of this situation, they will act. And their solution will be final."
Without waiting for a response, he opened the door and stepped out into the night, leaving Kadir alone in the suffocating quiet.
Kadir leaned against the edge of his desk, exhaling slowly. His mind churned with the weight of their conversation, the specter of the council's judgment looming over him like a stormcloud. He glanced toward the far corner of the room, where a faint shimmer of Flux energy flickered—a manifestation of his own unease.
"Don't fail me, Kyon," he murmured under his breath. "Don't fail yourself."
As if on cue, the hum of Flux in the room grew stronger, sharper. Kadir straightened, his instincts flaring. He turned toward the source, his hand hovering near the small blade tucked into his belt.
The shimmer in the corner twisted, bending the air around it until a figure began to form. Kadir's grip tightened.
"Who's there?"
The figure stepped forward from the shadows, his movements deliberate and unnervingly graceful. The air seemed to grow heavier, a faint chill creeping into the room as his presence became unmistakable. Kadir's sharp eyes darted to the new arrival, his hand instinctively brushing the hilt of a concealed blade.
"Elijah Gerard," Kadir said, his voice tight with recognition and suspicion. "What business does the head of Sharman's coven have in my library?"
Elijah stepped fully into the dim light, his sharp, aristocratic features illuminated. His dark eyes glinted with amusement, but there was a dangerous calm to his demeanor. "Oh, Kadir," he said, his tone as smooth as silk but carrying an edge. "Surely you know I don't visit lightly."