🌌 Chapter Two: A Secret in the Veins
Lian woke up the next morning, but his body didn't wake up properly. He felt unusually heavy, as if his muscles were resisting his every movement. Even his eyes wouldn't stay open.
The morning sun rose over the village of Shimmering River, painting the sky a soft orange, and birds were singing among the trees. But all this beauty wasn't enough to hide the truth: the price of what happened last night was still etched in his veins.
He slowly sat up on his wooden bed and raised his hand to his eyes. He didn't see a silver thread this time, but his fingers were trembling slightly. He extended it inward as if to test whether the thread would return if he wanted it. But nothing happened. Just a feeling of emptiness in his chest, as if the seed had slept after birth.
His mother, Aline, entered, carrying a tray with some simple bread and a cup of hot milk. She smiled, saying, "Little lazy boy, isn't it time to wake up yet? I thought you'd sleep in until noon."
He laughed lightly to hide his nervousness. "I was just tired."
She placed the tray in front of him and sat on the edge of the bed. "You're always tired lately. Do you work at night with old Oren?"
He was confused and looked away. "No... I just go to the river sometimes."
She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head, smiling. "I wish you could find a better hobby than staring at the water."
He smiled too, but his heart was pounding. He couldn't tell her. He didn't even know how to describe that thread if he tried.
After breakfast, Lian went out to wander around the village. It was a small village, but every house had its own story. Children ran barefoot along the dirt paths, women washed clothes by the river's edge, and men surveyed the fields.
But Lian saw the scene differently than before. Every movement around him seemed to betray a deeper rhythm. He heard the water differently, as if he was breathing with it. Every person laughing or shouting seemed to leave a trail in the air.
Was this the trail of a seed? Was he beginning to hear what others couldn't?
He approached the small market where villagers sold grains and fruits. As he helped an old man lift a sack of wheat, he suddenly felt a strange current in his hand. For a brief moment, he noticed a silvery gleam at his fingertips.
He stopped and quickly withdrew his hand, as if someone had seen him. But no one noticed.
He breathed deeply, "No, not here... I don't want anyone to know."
On the other side of the market sat a man wearing a gray cloak. No one knew him, and no one asked him where he came from. He looked like any ordinary traveler buying some bread. But his eyes never left Lian.
This was the same Gray Shadow agent who had been watching him the day before. He slowly raised the teacup to his lips, mentally registering:
"The oscillation in his hand... yes, the ability is beginning to seep into everyday life. Growth is rapid. This boy might be more than just a coincidence."
But none of the villagers suspected anything. The organization was used to disguising itself as strangers.
Lian returned home that afternoon. He tried to occupy himself by gathering firewood and helping his mother, but his mind remained preoccupied.
Later, he sat opposite Orin, who was repairing old fishing gear.
Lian hesitated, "Sheikh... can a thread disappear after it appears?"
Orin answered without looking up. "It disappears when it asks for payment. Sometimes it sleeps for a day or a month, and sometimes it doesn't return if you neglect it. A seed is like a living thing inside you. If you nourish it, it grows; if you dry it out, it dies."
Lian paused for a moment. "But... if you nourish it, will people know?"
Oren laughed lightly. "People will always know. Nothing is a secret forever. But choosing when and how they know... that determines your fate."
That night, Lian sat again by the riverbank. He tried to summon the string, but it didn't respond easily. He concentrated for a long time until he felt a pain in his chest. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a short end sticking out, but it quickly faded.
He took a deep breath, disappointment filling him.
"Why can't I? Was I just lucky last night?"
But before he could rise, he saw a strange reflection on the surface of the water. It wasn't just the moon. It was a blurry, moving shadow. He quickly raised his head, but there was no one.
His heart trembled. He had no idea that that gray shadow was still watching him...
And that the game hadn't even begun?