Chapter Six: Seeds of Suspicion in the Village
Lian returned to the village at sunrise, exhausted from the sleepless nights and the strange ordeal he had endured by the river.
His body was groaning with exhaustion, but his soul was burdened by something more dangerous: the whisper that the gray man had left in his heart.
"We're not here to test your strength... but to see if you deserve to be spared."
The words rang in his head like a heavy bell, and with each ring, he felt that his life no longer belonged to him alone.
---
In the small square near the burned-out granary, the villagers had gathered since dawn.
Smoke still rose from the remains of the roof, and the air was thick with the smell of burning wood and ash.
The faces were tired, some angry, some confused, but one thing was clear in their eyes: glances directed furtively toward Lian.
He stopped at the edge of the square, hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.
He heard whispers circulating:
"He's the one who stopped the fire..."
"But how?" "I saw with my own eyes... silver threads emerging from his hand!"
"It can't be natural..."
---
Uncle Vitor walked slowly forward, his face covered in dust, his voice tired but steady. "Lian, what happened last night?"
The boy was confused, unsure what to say.
Should he tell them the truth? About the seed? About the shadow? About the power he didn't understand?
But the mere thought was a nightmare... How would they believe him?
He lowered his eyes. "I don't know... I saw the fire ignite, and then... I wanted to stop it. Suddenly something inside me... I didn't think, I just moved."
There was a moment of silence.
Then he heard a mocking laugh from behind him. "See? Even he doesn't know what he's doing! A power like this isn't natural... Who knows if it'll save us or kill us all!"
The owner of the voice was a man named "Eldar," known for his hot temper and sharp tongue.
---
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Some faces nodded hesitantly, as if the Eldar's words had struck them squarely.
Others looked at Lian sympathetically, but silently.
The boy felt suffocated. He wanted to scream, to say that he hadn't chosen this, that everything he'd done had been to save them.
But the words got stuck in his throat.
At that moment, Mark suddenly stepped forward, stood beside him, and said loudly, "Enough! If it weren't for Lian, the entire storehouse would have burned. Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten that half the village would have starved had it not been for his actions?"
The people were confused.
The Eldar snarled, "That's what you say now, but when he loses control of these silver threads and they wrap around all of our necks, who will bear the consequences?"
---
The whispers grew louder.
The eyes were no longer just curious, but a mixture of fear, gratitude, and suspicion.
Lian felt the ground closing in on him.
He turned away, almost fleeing the square... but then he heard a faint voice from the crowd:
"I believe in you, Lian."
He turned. It was a young girl, no older than ten, looking at him with a pure smile.
Her simple words pierced the wall of fear inside him.
---
He took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at the villagers.
"I don't know what's going on. This power has suddenly appeared, and I don't yet understand it. But I swear... I swear that I will only use it to protect you. Even if I have to put my life in danger."
There was silence.
Some looked convinced, others still had doubts.
But at least he didn't hear any other whispers at that moment.
---
That evening, while the villagers were trying to repair what remained of the storehouse, Lian sat near his house, thinking. Mark sat beside him in a long silence, then said, "You know? They may be afraid, but I... I believe you. Just don't lose yourself, Lian. Because if you do... I can't be by your side."
His heart trembled.
He knew Mark was sincere, but at the same time, he felt a greater weight: if he let down even his only friend... he would be alone forever.
---
But what Lian didn't know was that far from the village, on a distant hill, stood the same man in the gray cloak.
Beside him stood another shadow, taller and more dignified.
The first man said, "As I expected... the village began to divide around him. Fear is a more effective tool than any sword."
The other responded in a cold voice, "Let him grow in their eyes a little. Every hero is born of doubt. And when the right moment arrives... we will decide if he is worthy of becoming an ally, or just another corpse in our path."
The two of them faded into the mist, leaving behind the suspicion growing like a seed in the heart of the village. .