Chapter 1 – Ashes on the Road
Wagon wheels and hoofprints marked the dirt path that led out of Havenbrook. Along the edges, the grass grew wild and bent with the wind. On both sides, the forest closed in, silent save for the sound of leaves rustling.
Liora was on Kael's back. Her head rested on his shoulder and her arms hung loosely around his neck. He changed his hold on her every few steps to prevent her from slipping. The weight caused his shoulders to burn, but he didn't mind.
The smoke from Havenbrook continued to rise into the sky behind them. Kael could see the gray scar against the horizon, but it had thinned over night. Instead, he pushed his eyes forward.
Liora muttered, "You can put me down." Despite her hoarse voice, she made an effort to sound upbeat. "I am able to walk."
Kael gave a headshake. "Not until your arm recovers."
"It's only a cut."
"It's deep."
She sighed but didn't continue to argue. Her breath was warm and shaky against his neck.
Between them, there was silence. Kael's thoughts went back to the previous evening, with flames roaring from his hands, cries, and terrified eyes. The recollection weighed heavily on him.
The voice then returned.
[Emotion detected: Guilt; resonance gauge: 43%)
[Stability: Precarious]
Kael grimaced. He gritted his teeth and held his breath until the message faded and flickered.
He hadn't mentioned the voice to Liora. He only knew that it seemed to get stronger as his emotions did, but he had no idea what it was. And if anybody else found out, they might label it a curse or worse.
No. This was his burden.
---
Kael eventually placed Liora under an oak tree by midday. Pale but with a faint smile, she leaned against the trunk.
"You also need to rest," she said.
"I'm all right."
"You're not. You appear as though you might topple over at any moment.
Kael smiled at her wearily without protesting. With his arms on his knees and his gaze sweeping the road, he sat opposite her. It was his first time outside Havenbrook. Every sound seemed too sharp now, every shadow between the trees dangerous.
"Where are we going?" Liora inquired quietly.
Kael took a while to respond. He had no strategy. Their entire world had been Havenbrook. They had no roots without it. Finally, he said, "Somewhere safe."
Liora made a thin line with her lips, but she didn't press any harder.
The faint sound of footsteps was heard as someone approached them.
Kael tensed, gripping a splintered branch he had previously picked up.
A hooded, cloaked figure moved steadily and gracefully out of the trees. The person walked with light, nearly silent steps. Beneath the cloak, a flash of metal revealed itself—blades, perhaps, or something sharper.
Immediately, Kael got up and moved to stand between Liora and the stranger.
A few paces away, the figure halted and cocked their head. Then they lowered the hood in leisurely steps.
She was a woman with midnight-dark hair and silver streaks at her temples. She had keen eyes that didn't miss anything.
Immediately, Kael got up and moved to stand between Liora and the stranger.
A few steps away, the figure came to a stop and lowered the hood.
The woman had eyes that were alert and vigilant, and her hair was as dark as midnight with silver strands at the temples.
"Don't move". Your sister is bleeding. Let me check. She spoke in a clear, calm voice that didn't waste words.
Kael remained motionless. He gripped the branch tighter.
With her hands open and empty, she added, "I won't hurt you." " First, apply pressure. Next, use new cloth".
Liora's arm, which was already soaking from the ripped wrap, caught her attention. Kael paused. Liora squeezed his sleeve.
"It's okay," she sighed.
The stranger's deft fingers inspected the wound. She took a tiny vial out of her cloak and covered the cut with a clear liquid. Liora hissed, but the bleeding instantly stopped. With precise movements, the woman wrapped it in a clean cloth.
"There," she said. "Now you'll be alright."
With practiced ease, the woman removed the bandage and stood up, rubbing her hands against her cloak. Her piercing gaze flicked between the two siblings.
"You can talk," she said in a calm yet inquisitive tone. "Who are you, wandering around here with your clothes still smeared with blood?"
Kael tensed. Despite her pale face, Liora sat up straighter when he looked at her. Her voice was steady but quiet as she introduced herself as Liora. She gave her brother a nod. " This is Kael here. We arrived from Havenbrook".
The woman stared at them. "Havenbrook." Her brow was lightly furrowed.
The woman's eyes continued to follow her. As though weighing something invisible, her eyes first softened and then sharpened.
Finally, she said, "You have light within you." Something more stable, not fire. stable enough to withstand storms. That gift could grow into something more with the right direction. I could accept you as a disciple if you so desire.
Liora gasped. "A disciple?" Wide-eyed, she glanced at Kael before turning back to the woman. "But I—"
Her shoulder was lightly touched by the stranger's hand. "A town's ruins shouldn't be the place where strength like yours withers. It ought to develop".
Kael's jaw tensed, but he remained silent. At his sides, his hands clenched into fists.
Liora paused. She was tempted by the offer. The words trembled on the edge of her lips as she parted them.
"My brother—he."
"Liora." Kael's voice pierced the darkness. Startled by the sharpness in his voice, she turned to face him. Something more intense than rage blazed in his firelight-shadowed eyes. "Avoid it."
Without saying anything else, the woman silently examined him.
Liora shut her mouth. Her silent request lingered in the air and vanished into the crackle of flaming wood.
The woman's eyes were as calm as still water and as sharp as a blade as she focused entirely on Kael.
Finally, she said in a steady voice, "You have potential, boy." More than most that I've seen".
She appeared to think for a heartbeat. She then shook her head and let out a slow exhale. But you can't go down my path. Males are not accepted in my sect. She cast a softer glance at Liora. "I would take him myself if it weren't for that."
"I can recommend him elsewhere, to others who would train him," she said after pausing. He would be accepted and possibly even rise to prominence with that fire.
Kael merely shook his head and grinned dimly. "No. That won't be required.
Liora gazed at him. "Kael—"
He faced the woman once more. "I'm grateful. However, I will follow my own path.
The woman narrowed her eyes and studied him for a long time.
As though attempting to read his nonverbal cues, the woman continued to examine him. Finally, she shifted her attention to Liora again.
As the woman's gaze settled on Liora, it became softer. Calm but firm, she held out her hand.
"You, child. You possess light. unrealized potential. Join me. If you want, I can help you".
Liora gasped. Her wide, terrified eyes shot to Kael as if she had only heard the implied distance in the offer and not the actual offer itself. She gripped her brother's sleeve and muttered, "I… I can't." "I can't abandon him."
The woman spoke in a low, measured voice with a hint of inevitable. "Your gift will starve if you remain here. It will survive if you come. This is a rare opportunity".
Liora's braid whipped against her cheek as she wildly shook her head. "No. No, I'd rather not—"
Kael interrupted quietly, his voice steady but hoarse, "Liora." He grasped her hands and pressed them firmly to his chest. His heart pounded against her hands. "You ought to leave."
She winced and looked up at him as though he had hit her. "Avoid saying that. Don't say that, please. You'll be by yourself. What if—what if the fire—"
He forced a faint, shaky smile. "I'll get by. In some way. However, you have a chance. An actual one.
Her lip trembled and her tears fell, streaming down her cheeks. "I'd rather not take a chance. All I want is my brother".
Kael muttered, "And you'll always have him." Shutting his eyes against the sting in his own, he pressed his forehead against hers. "You will always have me, even if we are apart. Always".
Both of them stayed like tthatr for quite some time. The only sounds in the room were Liora's erratic sobs and Kael's labored breathing.
The woman's hand then gently touched Liora's shoulder. She didn't tug. She didn't give orders. All she did was wait.
Liora held onto Kael's sleeves with her fingers until the fabric gathered beneath her fingernails. Painfully, slowly, her hold relaxed.
"Kael..." She pleaded and breathed, broken.
He no longer trusted his voice. He merely grinned, a gentle, courageous, but excruciatingly depressing smile. With the slightest of gestures, he shook his head, telling her to be strong for them both.
The stranger then led her away.
With each step, Liora glanced back, her eyes glistening with tears, her hand barely reaching before the trees engulfed her. Watching her disappear into the night, Kael remained motionless, arms drooping uselessly at his sides.
The ensuing silence was oppressive. For the first time, Kael felt the weight of the world without her at his side.
He attempted to call her name, but his mouth remained closed. All that was left was the echo of her final glance and the flicker of firelight.
He was by himself. Completely, utterly alone.