The night in Lysoria was colder than usual, but for Kael and Seren, the chill of the air was the least of their concerns. After their encounter with the Shade, Seren insisted they flee the area immediately. Kael, still grappling with the strange power he had unleashed, followed her reluctantly.
"Where are we even going?" Kael asked, his tone edged with frustration as they slipped through the winding alleys.
"Anywhere but here," Seren replied, her voice low. "If the Echo Council finds me, they'll execute me on sight. And if they find you..." She trailed off, casting a wary glance at him.
Kael scowled. "Let me guess—they won't throw me a parade either."
Seren didn't answer.
---
A World Divided by Echoes
As they moved deeper into the less patrolled parts of Lysoria, Kael couldn't help but study Seren more closely. She carried herself with an air of resilience despite her obvious exhaustion. Her emerald-green Echo, a phoenix, flitted weakly beside her, its light dim and erratic.
"You said your Echo turned into that Shade," Kael said, breaking the silence. "How does that even happen?"
Seren hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "When an Echo becomes overwhelmed by its owner's emotions—anger, despair, fear—it starts to warp. If it isn't reined in, it can corrupt completely, turning into a Shade."
Kael processed this information. "And the Council... they kill people whose Echoes turn?"
Seren nodded. "They say it's to protect the populace, but..." Her voice hardened. "The truth is, they're more interested in controlling Echoes than helping people."
Kael felt a pang of bitterness. He had spent his entire life as an outcast for lacking an Echo, yet now he was learning that having one came with its own dangers.
---
A Temporary Refuge
The duo eventually found refuge in an abandoned warehouse near the city's industrial district. The building was dark and dusty, but it offered enough cover to avoid the prying eyes of the Echo Council's patrols.
Seren collapsed onto a crate, cradling her head in her hands. Her phoenix Echo hovered beside her, its light flickering like a dying flame.
"You're in bad shape," Kael observed.
"I'll be fine," Seren muttered, though her pale complexion and trembling hands suggested otherwise.
Kael sat down across from her, watching her closely. "You need to rest. But first, you owe me an explanation."
Seren sighed, brushing her auburn hair out of her face. "Fine. What do you want to know?"
"Start with the Council," Kael said. "Why are they so interested in Shades?"
Seren hesitated before answering. "The Echo Council claims to be the protector of society, regulating Echo usage to maintain balance. But behind the scenes, they've been experimenting on Echoes—trying to corrupt them on purpose."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"To weaponize them," Seren said bitterly. "Corrupted Echoes are powerful, and the Council wants to use that power to tighten their control over the populace. My family... they found out about the experiments and tried to expose them."
Kael leaned forward. "And?"
Seren's voice wavered. "The Council silenced them. Framed my parents as traitors. They sent operatives after me to cover their tracks."
Kael sat back, absorbing her words. "So now you're running for your life. And I just got dragged into your mess."
Seren shot him a sharp look. "You didn't have to save me."
Kael shrugged. "Yeah, well, you looked like you needed it."
---
Kael's Burden
The conversation shifted as Seren asked about Kael's strange power.
"What you did back there... that wasn't normal. No one can absorb a Shade like that. Not even the Council's top operatives."
Kael hesitated, unsure of how to explain something he didn't fully understand himself. "It just... happened. I touched you, and then those tendrils appeared. It's like... I pulled the Shade into me."
Seren's expression darkened. "That's not an Echo ability. That's something else entirely."
Kael leaned back against the wall, rubbing his temples. "Tell me about it. I've spent my whole life being told I'm cursed for not having an Echo. Now, suddenly, I'm absorbing corrupted ones? Makes no sense."
Seren studied him for a moment. "Maybe your lack of an Echo isn't a curse. Maybe it's... something different."
Kael snorted. "Great. So I'm a freak in a different way."
Seren opened her mouth to respond but froze as a faint noise echoed through the warehouse.
---
The Hunters Arrive
Kael and Seren exchanged tense glances. The sound of footsteps grew louder, accompanied by the low hum of Echo energy.
"They found us," Seren whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kael stood, his muscles tensing. "Stay back."
Three Echo Council operatives entered the warehouse, their faces obscured by masks. Their Echoes floated beside them—one in the shape of a jagged spear, another a coiled serpent, and the third a pair of shadowy wings.
"Seren Alvara," one of them said, his voice cold and commanding. "By order of the Echo Council, you are to be taken into custody."
Kael stepped in front of Seren. "Not happening."
The operative tilted his head, his gaze landing on Kael. "And who are you supposed to be?"
Kael smirked. "Just the cursed kid you didn't see coming."
The operatives moved to attack, their Echoes surging forward with lethal intent. Kael's Void tendrils emerged instinctively, intercepting the spear and serpent. The operatives hesitated, clearly unprepared for his strange ability.
"Seren, go!" Kael shouted, grappling with the spear-wielding operative.
Seren hesitated, but the urgency in Kael's voice forced her to act. She summoned the remnants of her phoenix Echo, launching a wave of flames that created a momentary barrier between them and their attackers.
Kael grabbed her hand, and they sprinted out of the warehouse, the operatives close behind.
---
The Chase
The pursuit led them through Lysoria's dark alleys and narrow streets. Seren's phoenix provided bursts of light, but it was clear her energy was fading. Kael, meanwhile, struggled to control the Void tendrils, which seemed to act on their own.
As they turned a corner, Kael spotted an underground access hatch. "There!" he said, pulling Seren toward it.
They slipped inside, sealing the hatch behind them just as the operatives rounded the corner.
In the silence of the underground tunnels, Seren leaned against the wall, catching her breath. "That was close."
Kael nodded, his own breathing heavy. "Yeah. Too close."
For now, they were safe—but Kael couldn't shake the feeling that their problems were only beginning.