The chanting wouldn't stop. It wasn't just sound anymore — it was inside Will's head, crawling under his skin, rattling his bones. The desert night pressed in around him, the air sharp and dry, the sand shifting beneath his feet. Torches flickered in the wind, their flames bending sideways, casting long, jagged shadows across the dunes.
Will clenched his fists so tightly his nails cut into his palms. His chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven bursts.
He wanted to hold it in. He wanted to remember his grandmother's words about patience, about strength. But the voices around him drowned her out.Will's lips trembled. The words pressed against his teeth, desperate to escape.
"Why…" The whisper slipped out, almost lost to the wind.
The cultists laughed, their voices sharp and cruel, echoing across the dunes.
"Why…" Louder this time, his throat raw.
They leaned closer, their faces twisted in firelight, mocking him with every sneer.
"WHY…" His body shook, his eyes burning.
"WHY! WHY! WHY!" The roar tore from his chest, carrying across the desert night until even the laughter faltered.
For a heartbeat, only the wind answered, scattering sand across the circle.
Then one of them spat at his feet. "Because you're nothing. Because you were never chosen."
Something inside Will snapped.
His fist flew before thought could stop it. The crack of bone against bone rang out, followed by a cry of pain. The cultist staggered back, blood spilling down his chin. Gasps rippled through the circle.
Two more lunged at him. Will's body moved on instinct — a knee to the gut, an elbow to the jaw. He felt the sting in his knuckles, the burn in his lungs, the raw ache of rage that refused to be contained.
The chanting broke apart into shouts. Torches wavered. The circle no longer looked like a ritual — it looked like chaos.
And then, just as suddenly, the cultists froze.
The crowd parted.
A figure stepped forward from the darkness — tall, cloaked, his presence heavy enough to make the desert air feel colder. The others bowed their heads.
The leader.
"You've shown your teeth at last," the man said, his voice calm, almost amused. "Now we will see if you are beast… or chosen."
Will's chest heaved. His hands shook, slick with blood. For the first time that night, rage gave way to something else.
Fear.