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Chapter 4: Whispers in the Dark
The forest was too quiet.
Kael's heart pounded as the hooded figure stepped into the moonlight. They moved with the kind of stillness that made every rustle and breath around them seem loud in comparison. Their silver eyes glinted faintly beneath the hood—sharp, deliberate, unsettling.
"So… you're the one the Nexus chose," the figure repeated, voice smooth and calm.
Kael didn't move. His instincts screamed danger. No sect disciple he'd seen moved like this, and none spoke with such measured certainty.
"Who are you?" he demanded, keeping his voice steady.
The figure tilted their head slightly, as though amused by the question. "Names are unnecessary for now. What matters is that I found you before they did."
Kael's muscles tensed. They. He didn't need to ask who that referred to.
The stranger took a step closer. "The beacon's light can be seen for leagues. The sects will converge here soon—those who wish to control the Nexus, and those who wish to destroy it. Either way, you're at the center of a storm you don't yet understand."
Kael's back pressed against the cold stone behind him. "And what do you want?"
The figure stopped a few paces away. For a moment, the air hung heavy between them. Then—so subtly Kael almost missed it—their aura shifted. It was like a predator dropping its disguise.
Kael felt it first as pressure on his chest, then as a pulse of warning from the Nexus fragment.
Without thinking, he moved. Energy surged through his limbs—unsteady, wild, but powerful. He dove sideways just as the ground where he'd been standing cracked open with a dull thump.
The figure's hand hung in the air where Kael's head had been a heartbeat ago. Not a strike—more like a test.
"So it's true," they murmured. "The fragment accepted you."
Kael pushed himself up, panting. "Stay back!"
The Nexus pulse responded to his fear. Silver-blue light flared faintly around him, shimmering like starlight through water. It wasn't controlled, but it was there.
The figure's lips curved slightly beneath the hood. "Good. You're instinctive. That might keep you alive."
Then, faster than Kael could react, they blurred forward. Their hand reached for his chest—not to strike, but to touch. Kael's instincts screamed. He swung his arm wildly, and the Nexus answered.
A burst of energy erupted from his palm. It wasn't elegant. It was raw, unfocused power. The air distorted, leaves scattered, and the figure was forced to twist aside mid-stride.
They landed lightly a few meters away, cloak fluttering in the sudden gust. "Impressive," they said softly. "But dangerous. You're wielding something you don't understand."
Kael didn't relax. His breathing was uneven, his arms trembling from the surge. "Tell me who you are," he demanded again.
The hooded figure was silent for a moment. Then they raised a hand and slowly lowered their hood.
A woman's face emerged—sharp, pale, and framed by long black hair streaked with silver. Her silver eyes gleamed with faint luminescence, like moonlight on water. She was older than Kael but not ancient—maybe mid-twenties. A strange mark traced along the side of her neck, glowing faintly in rhythm with the Nexus pulse in Kael's chest.
"My name is Selene," she said finally. "And unlike your sect, I don't intend to cage you. I intend to keep you alive."
Kael's breath caught. He hadn't expected an answer like that.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because," Selene replied, stepping closer once more—but this time, slowly, without hostility—"the Nexus has awakened for the first time in centuries. And the one it chose…" Her gaze locked onto him, unwavering. "…is either the key to reshaping this world—or the spark that will burn it down."
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Kael stood frozen, Selene's words echoing in his mind. Key to reshaping the world… or the spark that will burn it down.
"That doesn't make any sense," he said, shaking his head. "I'm nobody. I don't have a core, I can't even pass the initiation exams. Why would the Nexus choose me?"
Selene studied him carefully, as though weighing something unseen. "The Nexus doesn't care about sect rankings or talent tests. It responds to something far older—threads that even the sect archives barely remember. Destiny, resonance, will…" She paused. "Or perhaps desperation."
Kael frowned. "Destiny?"
Selene crouched down, tracing a finger through the dirt. She drew a circle, then intersecting lines, forming a pattern that seemed both simple and impossibly complex. "The Nexus isn't just a stone," she said. "It's a fragment of the Infinite Vein—a lattice that connects realms, times, and truths. When it awakens, it chooses an anchor. Someone it can exist through."
Her silver eyes lifted to his. "You are that anchor now."
Kael's stomach knotted. "I didn't choose this."
"No one ever does."
Silence hung between them. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Then Selene stood and looked toward the distant treeline. Her expression shifted—sharpened.
"They're coming."
Kael's head snapped toward the same direction. At first, he heard nothing. Then—a faint, rhythmic sound. Footsteps. Dozens of them.
Lantern light flickered faintly between the trees in the distance.
"It's the sect," Kael whispered.
Selene nodded. "They'll find this place soon. Elder Rokan's aura is already brushing the edges of the forest. He's not subtle."
Fear clawed at Kael's chest. "What do we do?"
Selene turned to him. "You have two choices. Run blindly and get caught within the hour… or trust me, and maybe survive the night."
Her words were calm, but her gaze was piercing, like she could see every thought flickering behind his eyes.
Kael hesitated. He'd just met her. She'd attacked him moments ago. Trusting her would be reckless.
But staying meant certain death—or worse.
He clenched his fists. "Fine. What's your plan?"
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Good. First, don't channel the Nexus again unless I tell you to. The beacon will flare and they'll pinpoint us instantly. Second…"
She reached into her cloak and tossed him a small, flat crystal etched with runes. "Hold that and follow me. Stay silent."
Kael caught it awkwardly. "What is it?"
"Something to keep us hidden—for a little while."
She moved swiftly through the trees, barely making a sound. Kael followed, heart pounding. As they slipped deeper into the forest, the crystal grew cold in his hand. The air around them shimmered faintly, like heat haze.
Behind them, lantern light spilled into the clearing they'd left. Shouts rose.
"They were here!"
"Spread out! Elder Rokan is near!"
Kael glanced back once—and froze. Elder Rokan himself had arrived, towering above the disciples like a dark flame. His spiritual pressure rolled out in waves, making the forest creak and groan.
"Track them," Rokan's voice thundered. "I can feel the fragment's residue. They won't escape me."
Selene didn't look back. "Keep moving," she whispered.
They wove through dense brush, crossed a shallow stream, and finally ducked into the hollow of an ancient, fallen tree. The inside was dry and shadowed, large enough for both to crouch.
For several minutes, only the sound of distant shouts filled the air. Then silence.
Kael exhaled shakily. "They'll find us eventually."
"Not if we leave before dawn," Selene replied softly. "But before we go… you need to understand something."
She turned to him, her expression serious. "The moment the Nexus bonded with you, your old life ended. The sect, your tests, your status—it's all meaningless now. You're no longer just Kael of Ember Fang."
Her gaze hardened. "You're Kael, bearer of the Nexus fragment. And everyone—your sect included—will want a piece of you. Some will try to use you. Others will try to kill you. And some…" Her voice softened slightly. "…might try to protect you. But they'll have their price, too."
Kael swallowed, the weight of her words settling like stone in his gut.
"What about you?" he asked quietly. "Why are you helping me?"
Selene's lips curved into the faintest, unreadable smile. "Because I was chosen once, too."
Before Kael could respond, a sudden crack split the night. The tree shuddered. A flare of light exploded outside, casting sharp shadows through the hollow.
Selene's head snapped toward the entrance, eyes narrowing. "They're faster than I thought."
Kael's pulse spiked. "What—?"
"Shh." Selene raised a hand, and the runes on the crystal in Kael's palm flared to life.
Outside, voices grew louder. A group had broken off from the main search party—and they were close.
Then, through the sliver of light in the hollow, Kael saw a silhouette moving toward them. A lone figure, moving differently from the others. Deliberate. Confident.
Selene's whisper was razor-sharp. "That's not a sect disciple."
The figure stopped just outside the hollow. The air grew cold.
Then, a low, unfamiliar voice spoke:
"I know you're in there."
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Author's Note
Thanks for reading Chapter 4: Whispers in the Dark ✨
Kael's world keeps expanding, and new players are stepping onto the stage. Next chapter… who is this new figure? Friend, foe, or something worse? 👁️🔥
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