The night had fallen over the wasteland, casting long shadows across jagged cliffs. Kael sat cross-legged, wooden sword resting beside him, staring at the silver glow of his mark. The dual flow of energy pulsed steadily, a rhythm now familiar and trusted.
The wanderer crouched beside him, her eyes distant as if recalling memories long buried. "Kael… there is something you must understand about your power. About the prophecy. It is not simply a curse — it is a reckoning."
Kael turned, eyes wide. "A reckoning?"
She nodded slowly. "Long before you were born, the stars foretold a child who would carry immense power. Not just control over light, but a mark that could shape reality itself. The king fears it — because if the prophecy is true, you could change the very balance of the realm."
Kael's chest tightened. "Change the balance? You mean… I could defeat him?"
The wanderer shook her head. "Not just defeat him, Kael. Reshape the world. Bring an end to the throne's tyranny… or destroy it entirely. That is why the Shadow Legion hunts you so relentlessly. Your potential threatens everything they uphold."
Kael clenched his fists, the silver light flaring faintly. "So all of this… the fear, the attacks… it's because of what I might become?"
"Yes," she said softly. "The mark chooses the child, not the other way around. You did not ask for this, Kael. But it is within you, and it will grow. The boy the kingdom fears is already here."
Kael looked down at the faint scar beneath his chest, the pulsing light now a steady heartbeat. "But why me? Why now?"
The wanderer's gaze softened. "Because the stars have aligned. The prophecy was always waiting for this moment. And because your spirit… your courage… is what will determine whether the mark brings ruin or hope."
A silence settled between them, broken only by the distant howl of the wind. Kael's mind raced. The weight of destiny pressed on him, heavier than any enemy, stronger than any fear.
"I… I don't know if I'm ready," Kael admitted, voice low. "Even with the dual flow, the hidden edge… what if I fail?"
The wanderer placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kael, power alone does not define the child of the prophecy. Courage, wisdom, and choice define you. You have learned control, yes. But the real challenge will be to choose how to use it when the Shadow Legion strikes again."
Kael's chest pulsed, the silver light responding to his growing resolve. "Then I won't fail," he whispered. "I'll protect those who cannot protect themselves. I'll face the Legion… and I'll prove that the cursed star child is more than a weapon."
The wanderer nodded, a faint smile breaking her usually stoic expression. "Good. Because they will come soon. And when they do, you will need every ounce of strength, every edge, and every lesson you have learned. The prophecy does not end with fear, Kael. It ends with action."
Kael rose slowly, wooden sword in hand, the silver light coiling around his fingers. "Then let them come," he said, determination blazing brighter than the stars above. "I'm ready to face whatever they send. I will not run. I will not hide. I will fight."
The wanderer watched him, pride and caution intertwined in her gaze. "Remember this, Kael. Power is only part of the prophecy. Choice is the other. The world will bend to those who dare to wield both wisely."
Kael's eyes shimmered with silver light, reflecting the mark that now pulsed like a heartbeat of destiny itself. The wasteland stretched before him, endless and unforgiving, but for the first time, he felt the weight of fear lift.
The cursed star child was no longer uncertain. He was ready.
And the world — and the Shadow Legion — would soon see the full measure of his power.