A small child strayed too close to the outer wall, drawn by curiosity. The child's soul burned bright and pure, innocent and fragile. Hunger lashed at him with promises of strength, power, clarity, and release, but Kael recoiled, trembling. He could not do it.
The child smiled, unaware, and Kael felt the first twinge of real guilt. His control had been tested, and he had passed, but at a cost: every second of restraint left him weaker in memory, human emotion fading.
He retreated to the shadows, letting the child return to the firelight. The night deepened around him, and Kael realized the danger was not the dead, but himself, and how easily the line could vanish.