Kaladin Shadowheart's POV.
I opened my eyes to a dark, unfamiliar stone ceiling. I raised up and out of the comfortable sheets and pressed a hand against my bare chest. The foggy memory of being impaled ran through my mind like a bad dream. But I knew it wasn't. My wound was gone, not even a scar was left.
I rolled out of bed and walked to the glass window—a dark, empty city lay beyond in eerie silence. With its ruined homes and the long scar gouging through its center, it wasn't hard to figure out that I was back at the main castle of Curia.
We made it out safely and it's been long enough that the entire city has been evacuated.
I looked back at the bed, and a ring of chairs was around, but they were empty. I was alone.
But not entirely, it seems…
I shook my head at the movement in the corner of my sight and greedily downed a pitcher of water. The room itself was on the higher end, clearly meant for high-level guests. I decided to shower in the attached bathroom.
The water was breathtakingly cold but refreshing in its own way. It was clear I had been washed at least once, and judging by the length of my hair, I hadn't been asleep for an ungodly amount of time, thankfully. I quickly patted myself down and stared at the murky glass mirror in the bathroom. A single candle lit the bathroom.
In the corner of the room, a dark shadow seemed to move, and as I focused, it became clearer. Not only could I see it, but I could sense it, feel its presence.
"What is this about?" I asked, talking into the mirror.
"You don't seem surprised. Not afraid that it's just in your head? Or perhaps another simulation?"
It was a familiar voice. No, not even familiar. It was a voice I once had, a voice from another life.
"How is this possible?" I questioned.
The shadow moved and took form. The sleek black armor, the red visor stared at me from behind. "Much is possible. If we can defy death, is this truly that odd?" he said.
"I suppose not…but there is an apparent conflict of reality here. Whatever happened to us being…us? You seem very real and very different from me," I answered.
"What does it matter? It's all philosophy in the end. The impossible, possible. Are we the same, different? Are we the now, you the future, and I the past? It's all meaningless. All that matters is that you can see and hear me now," he said.
"So you've always been there. Well, I knew you were. But you've been able to influence me, and I can't do the same to you," I said.
"It's only natural. You have a body and a soul. I only have a soul, one far more powerful than yours. We are different in that sense. I was hitching a ride inside of you, viewing the world through murky water. I could feel what you felt, saw what you saw, but that was it. You couldn't hear me. That same barrier that blocked me also separated us. Until now," he said.
I balled my hands up and turned around to face the man. I could see him clearly now, as if he were there. But there were no sounds of life, no breathing, no noise from his movements.
"Then…Kronos. What do you want?" I asked.
"I can sense your fear. However, you have little to worry about; I have a vested interest in your continued well-being. So for now, I want the same as you. To live," Kronos answered coolly.
"And what's stopping you from taking over my body again? The memory might be hazy, but I can still see some of it," I pushed.
Kronos shifted slightly and shook his head and said firmly, "I've grown too strong to inhabit your body again, even if I wanted to. If I were even to attempt it, a gruesome, painful death would be the most pleasant outcome. And I would like to avoid that fate again."
I exhaled deeply. In the same way, he could sense my emotions, and now I could feel his. Or perhaps I always could. Either way, he wasn't lying.
"That's correct. We've very rarely seen eye to eye. But in moments where our feelings aligned…we did have some connection," he answered.
I frowned. "You can read my mind?"
"Naturally," he answered as if it were normal.
I shook my head and sighed as I sat on the stool in the corner and dried my hair. "Then this is good…you seem to know things that I don't. So why don't we start with some of the basics?"
It seemed it was his turn to sigh. Which made me wonder if I ever sighed like that…it was…hard to imagine that I ever had.
"First and foremost, I only know slightly more than you do. Although I could see through your eyes and feel your thoughts and emotions, I saw the world in a different light myself, something similar to your Soulsight. And what knowledge I do possess, some of it is bound and locked away under a restriction. I can not break that restriction, directly or indirectly. The punishment is certain death," he said gravely.
My eyes widened. "Who set that restriction? And how did you come across it?" I asked.
"Beings of a far higher power watch those who learn of their secrets. It appears that, as mortals, learning of the knowledge is not lethal, but spreading it is. As for why…I do not know, perhaps the knowledge will lead me somewhere. Rather than its doom or something more, only time will tell. However, I came across it because of my unique existence: as you can imagine, it is not typical for a mortal soul to exist outside a physical form, or so I've reasoned. And I've been able to see things that normal people can not," he answered.
"So gods. Then Amon-Ra…you said that was him. How are you so powerful that you can defeat him?" I asked.
Kronos shook his head. "Amon-Ra is no god," he answered.
…
"And the power?" I asked again.
Kronos remained silent, clearly either choosing not to answer or being under the restriction. "Then if Amon-Ra is not a god. What is it?"
"A parasite. A blight on this world. Just like the rest of them. Although it is not a god, to a mortal, it might as well be. But that creature in the dungeon was merely an avatar of its true existence, hardly the real deal," he answered.
I finished drying my hair and put a finger to my chin. "Then what was his purpose? Surely that came at a cost, creating that avatar. It spoke as if it was a long-awaited plan," I asked.
Kronos stood there in silence for a moment before answering, "The only thing parasites do. Consume the life of their host. As to what end, I do not know. But it is clear that its goal is in direct conflict with ours."
Its host…could it be the dungeon? No, that would be too small a scale. Then it had to be the more obvious choice.
Souls.
"Then answer me, how did I not end up dying? Why is my memory before you took over foggy?" I asked.
Kronos remained silent. I figured that would be the case. But I already had an inkling of who was behind it. I don't know how they were capable of such a feat either.
I stood up and dressed myself lightly as I could hear footsteps approaching. "Then one last question for now. What's…our plan going forward?"
"Same as what I said during our previous meeting. Get stronger. You are far too weak to protect those we care for. This little planet is about to move into a catastrophic shift. War is coming. We will either be swallowed whole or reign supreme. There is no middle ground for either of us. And I'm certain I only derailed two years at most from just a single one of that parasite's plans. Not to mention there are others, lurking and scheming…" he trailed off.
I opened the door to the bathroom and looked over my shoulder. "The Moon Mother?"
A menacing glare struck me from behind the visor. "You should have crushed its throat when you had the chance. These creatures can not be reasoned with or bartered with. Remember this," he said.
"She's done right by us so far—"
"Has it? Or has that creatures warnings and guidance been nothing but a ploy, leading you to do its bidding without risk? Do think about it. What has it lost by sending you into the jaws of hell? It has an entire nation supposedly at its disposal. With a single oracle, it is supposed to be able to mobilize an entire religion. Yet it chose you…and how exactly do you think it found you?" Kronos asked dangerously.
I exhaled deeply. "I'll consider it. I'm due for another meeting," I said with a wave of the hand.
I sat down on the bed. Not sure how I felt about having my past self talking to me from the grave. And I was all but certain he was real and not a figment of my imagination. But then again, maybe it was somehow less fantastical than being reborn in another world, killing a Dragon, and fighting some parasitic demigod that lurked in the shadows and consumed souls to who knows what end?
And it isn't weird to see that my past self has changed alongside me. I can feel it.
I turned my head to the door as I heard the knob twist. It was followed by the clang of metal and food being dropped onto the carpet. I didn't even manage to say a word before I was rushed down by the two of them.
"You're awake!" Sylvia wailed.
With an arm pinned to my chest, all I could do was awkwardly pat her and Cerila on the heads. "Yes, I am…how long was I out for?"
"Just a few days," Sylvia answered with a sniffle.
"And how long were we in the dungeon?" I managed to ask as it got a little harder to breathe.
"Just three months, nothing like last time."
Good, then there were no shenanigans with time. Everything lined up relatively well this time.
Cerila pulled back with tears in her eyes and signed,
I raised an eyebrow at Cerila's words, but she stopped sighing as I felt another gaze on my back. I rolled over just enough to see him, standing in the doorway. Bowen wore a long cloak, but his left arm sleeve hung loosely and was empty. The man looked as if he had aged twenty years since I saw him.
Deep bags were under his empty, red eyes. His hair was long, unkept, and disheveled. I had never seen his beard or him in such a state.
"I apologize…" he said flatly, his usual jovial tone completely absent.
The two girls got off of me, and I stood up to face him. He didn't meet my eyes as he looked down at the floor.
"I…I just wanted to know. What happened to Jess? My wife?" he asked, in a shaky voice.
"Dead. And her soul was freed from the filthy parasite. I made sure of it," Kronos answered, his rage and anger present in my mind.
My heart ached as I answered, "She's gone. I ensured that her soul could rest in peace. I can guarantee you that."
Bowen shut his eyes tightly. And exhaled deeply. "Thank you, Kaladin. And don't worry…I won't ask or pry further, and we've all agreed not to discuss this with anyone outside of our group. You have our word," he said despondently.
He turned to walk away. "I'm sorry…" I said.
Bowen didn't turn around. "It's fine. We understood the risk but did it anyway…you are not to blame," he said as he walked away.
Bowen walked through the hallway, but he wasn't alone either. Lord Vasquez and a woman I had not seen, holding a young girl only about a year old, walked past him. They gave solemn nods of greeting and let him pass them.
Lord Vasquez approached and looked over his shoulder as Bowen rounded a corner. His one good eye darkened slightly, but he shook his head. A deep scar cut across his face, leaving his right eye milky white.
It seems his injuries, like Bowen's, are permanent…and if Sylvia couldn't fix them, then it must be serious.
"Kaladin. You are awake. How do you feel?" he asked.
"Fine, actually," I said.
"Good…Kaladin, this is my wife and daughter. They've come to say their thanks despite my warnings of the danger of this area, and I as well," Lord Vasquez said awkwardly.
Lady Vasquez smiled warmly at me. She had light brown hair like her daughter and looked to be in her late forties with small freckles dotting her face. She looked…far too kind for her rough and rather gruff husband. But then again, who was I to judge?
Then again, it seems like even his rough personality melts away with these two. I only know one side of this man.
"It's nice to get a chance to meet you, Kaladin. I was told you did a great deal in helping us reunite with my husband. I was worried sick, and even though words cannot express my gratitude, thank you for everything," she said softly.
"It's nothing, Lady Vasquez. Lord Vasquez did just as much as I. Without him, we wouldn't have made it to the end," I said.
The little girl reached out with a hand, grasping at the air as she smiled up at me. I should have felt good. But in truth, I was torn. I had reunited one family, but another lay broken. A child, husband, and a newborn, without their mother and wife.
Even so, I smiled for the child at least and let her grip a finger. I didn't miss the smile on Lord Vasquez's face as he wiped it off in a flash and gave me a steely gaze.
"If you have a moment, I would like to speak with you in private," he said.
Lady Vasquez nodded and, with a smile, left us. With Sylvia and Cerila waiting for me, we went to an adjacent room.
As he closed the door behind him, he turned to me and bowed. "Thank you for what you did in the dungeon. Without you, everyone would have perished. I did not know you had such powers…I will not ask you why you chose to hide it, but I'm sure you have your reasons. Your secret will be taken to my grave," he said seriously.
A rather convenient misunderstanding. I wonder who planted that seed?
"Thank you for that," I said with a nod.
Lord Vasquez let out an uncharacteristic sigh as he too averted his eyes. After a moment of silence, he turned to the door and looked over his shoulder.
"Great changes are coming. I'm sure you've already realized this. Even if you won't understand, I want you to know that everything I'm doing is for the sake of this kingdom. For my family," he said cryptically.
He opened the door to leave, and I said, "I'll keep that in mind, Lord Vasquez."
He nodded once again and left. He stopped slightly in the doorway, and his eyes turned to me in worry. But he ended up going anyway. I followed him out and understood what had stopped him.
"Mom?" I asked.
My mother stood in the hallway, looking at me. It wasn't a worried or a relieved expression on her face, but a deathly serious one.
"You…are you really my son?"