Chapter Two: A Quiet Confirmation
The morning after I awakened felt mostly the same. I still stretched the same way when I got out of bed, still reached for the same shirt, still knotted the same laces on my boots. There was no spark in the air, no lingering hum in my bones. Just that quiet presence, like a breath always waiting.
It didn't make me feel powerful. Not really. It just made things quieter in a way I couldn't explain. My thoughts moved a little smoother. I noticed small things—how Niall rolled his shoulder twice before lifting the sacks, how Father angled his feet before turning a corner. Things I'd probably seen before, but never seen.
I practiced behind the barn again. Copied Bram's stance. Not because I thought I needed to, but because it felt like something I should do now. Like scratching an itch. When I mirrored his posture exactly—weight on the back foot, lead hand low—I didn't feel stronger. I just felt... more certain of the space around me.
I tried something else, too. I chopped firewood, mimicking the exact rhythm Niall used. The swing, the pause, the slight lean before each strike. I didn't ask why—I just wanted to try it, and it worked better than the way I usually did it.
Nothing flashy. Nothing anyone would notice unless they were looking.
I wasn't sure when I'd tell my family. Part of me thought I'd wait until it actually mattered—until I could prove something. But by the end of the day, when we all sat down for stew and black bread, I figured it was better to say it now than have someone else guess later.
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They were halfway through the meal when Eli spoke. The bowl in front of him was half-full, the steam curling in slow swirls. He didn't look up right away.
"I awakened," he said.
There was a pause. Just long enough for the clink of Bram's spoon to echo against the edge of his bowl.
Niall blinked first. "Since when?"
"This morning."
"You sure?" Bram asked, still chewing. "Some people think they have when they haven't."
Eli shrugged. "I can feel the Soul Energy. It moves when I focus. Doesn't force it. Just responds."
Father didn't say anything. He tore a piece of bread in half, dipped it in the stew, and kept eating.
Lysa looked up from her seat across the table, her expression mild. "No headache? No burning sensation? Some get a chill."
"No. Just felt awake. Like noticing something I hadn't before."
"What's your trait?" Bram leaned forward, one elbow on the table. "Can you do anything yet?"
"I think I can copy physical movements. Not powers—just technique. If I see someone fight, I can copy how they move. Not instantly. But I pick it up fast."
Niall frowned. "That doesn't sound very useful unless you're already good with a sword."
"I'm not," Eli replied simply.
Bram scoffed lightly. "Maybe you'll learn my swings and become half-decent."
Eli didn't react to that.
"Could be good," Lysa said, wiping her hands with a cloth. "Learning from others instead of guessing. That kind of thing builds fast."
"It'll depend how far it goes," Niall added. "Can you copy stances or whole sequences? Timing, footwork, breathwork?"
"I don't know yet," Eli said. "Still watching. Still figuring it out."
Father finally spoke, his voice low and even. "Doesn't matter what it is. You've awakened now. That changes your path."
Eli looked up at him. "What does that mean?"
"You'll need to train it. Feed it. Even quiet traits turn loud if you keep at them."
"I planned to."
"That's fine," Father said, dipping another piece of bread. "Don't go chasing rank. Just get used to what you've got first."
"People from town will ask," Niall muttered. "Once they hear."
"No reason for them to hear," Lysa said calmly.
"She's right," Father added. "We don't need a caravan of recruiters rolling up because some boy in Elmsworth sprouted Soul Energy. Not yet."
Eli stayed quiet for a moment. He hadn't really thought about recruiters. Or ranks. Or how the townsfolk would treat him once they found out. There was no pressure in the house, no expectation. That felt grounding.
"Do you want to do something with it?" Elen piped up. She'd been silent until now, swinging her feet under the table. "Like join the Crown Guard?"
"No," Eli said. "I don't want to guard anyone."
"Then what?"
"I don't know yet."
She nodded like that made perfect sense, then went back to eating her stew.
Bram stretched, pushing back from the table slightly. "If you're serious about copying moves, come spar tomorrow. No Soul Energy. Just wood staves. See what sticks."
"Alright," Eli said.
"I'll go easy."
"You won't have to."
That got a small laugh from Niall, and even Bram smiled a little.
Lysa stood and began gathering bowls. "We'll talk more tomorrow. But tonight's for quiet. No need to twist it all up in questions. The boy's awakened. That's enough."
Everyone rose, scraping chairs back.
Eli didn't feel changed. Just noticed. They didn't praise him, didn't press him, didn't act like anything strange had happened.
And that, somehow, felt right.