The sun rose on the seventh day. It was a pale light. It filtered through the dust motes dancing in the air.
Yoren sat in the chair. He had not slept. His eyes were red. His body felt heavy, like it was filled with lead.
He watched the cot. Raith lay still. The breathing was regular. The sweat had dried on his forehead.
Yoren stood up. His joints cracked. He walked to the cot. He placed a hand on Raiths wrist.
The pulse was strong. It was steady. The fever was gone.
Yoren said, Raith.
Raith did not move. He slept deeply. It was a natural sleep.
Yoren walked to the table. He poured water into a cup. He set it down. He waited.
An hour passed. The light grew brighter. The shadows retreated to the corners.
Raith stirred. He turned his head. He opened his eyes.
The eyes were clear. The confusion from the fever days was gone. The golden hue was sharper.
Raith said, Yoren.
Yoren said, You are awake.
Raith sat up. He moved smoothly. There was no stiffness. There was no pain in the movement.
He looked at his hands. He turned them over. The skin looked normal. The veins were not dark.
Raith said, How long?
Yoren said, Seven days.
Raith said, I remember the fire.
Yoren said, It is over.
Raith swung his legs over the side of the cot. He stood up. He did not wobble. He stood tall.
He looked at Yoren. He looked stronger. The shoulders were broader. The stance was grounded.
Raith said, I feel different.
Yoren said, You are different.
Raith walked to the table. He sat on the chair. He picked up the cup of water. He drank it in one go.
Yoren sat opposite him. He opened the notebook. He did not show the pages to Raith.
Yoren said, Can you grip?
Raith looked at the table edge. He placed his hand on the wood. He squeezed.
The wood creaked. A small dent formed under his fingers.
Raith said, Yes.
Yoren said, Too hard.
Raith relaxed his hand. He looked at the dent. He looked surprised.
Raith said, I did not mean to.
Yoren said, Control it.
Raith said, I will try.
They sat in silence. The air was thick. There were words unsaid. There were questions unasked.
Yoren remembered the coordinates. He remembered the gray cloak. He remembered the maps.
Raith remembered the fever. He remembered the voices. He remembered the knowledge that was not his.
Neither of them spoke about it. They did not have the vocabulary for it yet.
Yoren said, The test is in two days.
Raith said, I know.
Yoren said, You are ready.
Raith said, Am I?
Yoren said, Physically, yes.
Raith said, And mentally?
Yoren said, That is up to you.
Raith looked down at the table. He traced the grain of the wood with his finger.
Raith said, I heard things, Yoren.
Yoren said, Fever dreams.
Raith said, They felt real. They felt like memories.
Yoren said, They were not.
Raith looked up. He searched Yorens face. He looked for a lie. He did not find one.
Raith said, Okay.
He did not push. He knew Yoren. He knew when a door was closed.
Yoren said, Drink more water.
Raith said, Yes.
He poured another cup. He drank slowly. He watched Yoren over the rim of the cup.
Something between them had shifted. It was a small shift. It was invisible. But it was there.
Trust was still there. But it was complicated now. Secrets were walls. They had built a wall.
Yoren stood up. He walked to the window. He looked out at the street.
The city was alive. People were walking. Life was continuing.
Yoren said, You should rest today.
Raith said, I have slept for a week.
Yoren said, Your body is new. Treat it like a wound.
Raith said, It does not feel like a wound.
Raith stood up. He walked to the center of the room. He stretched.
The movement was fluid. It was like a predator stretching. It was natural but unnerving.
Yoren watched him. He thought about the notes. He thought about the Level Two formula.
The notes had a warning. It was written in the margin. It was faint.
It said, Certain lineages respond differently.
Yoren had not told Raith that. He had not told him about the lineage clause.
He did not know what lineage Raith had. He did not know what lineage Yoren had.
Raith flexed his hand. He stared at the palm. The lines on the skin seemed deeper.
Raith said, Do you think I changed inside?
Yoren said, Everyone changes.
Raith said, Not like this.
Yoren said, We will monitor it.
Raith said, You mean you will monitor me.
Yoren said, Yes.
Raith said, Fair enough.
He lowered his hand. He looked at Yoren. He smiled. It was a weak smile. It was tired.
Raith said, Thanks. For staying.
Yoren said, You are my friend.
Raith said, Friends do not keep secrets.
Yoren said, Friends keep each other alive.
Raith nodded. He accepted the answer. He knew it was not the whole truth.
He walked to the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob.
Raith said, I will go home. I will sleep in my own bed.
Yoren said, Come back tomorrow.
Raith said, For training?
Yoren said, For testing.
Raith said, Okay.
He opened the door. He stepped into the hallway. He closed the door behind him.
Yoren stood alone. The room was quiet. The shadows moved slightly.
He walked to the table. He opened the drawer. He took out the Level Two notes.
He read the margin again. The ink was faded. The words were clear.
Certain lineages respond differently.
Raith had responded differently. The coordinates. The strength. The clarity.
Yoren put the notes away. He locked the drawer. He turned the key.
Raith flexes his hand and stares at it. Yoren watches him and thinks: the Level Two notes say certain lineages respond differently. He has not told Raith that.
The secret sat in his chest. It was heavy. It was dangerous.
He walked to the window. He looked out at the city. The sun was high now.
The test was in two days. The Iron Veil would examine Raith. They would measure him.
They would find something unusual. Yoren knew this.
He would have to be ready. He would have to be fast.
He looked at his rings. They were silent. They were calm.
Yoren said, What did you do to him?
The rings did not answer. They never answered.
He turned away from the window. He began to clean the vials. He began to prepare.
The game was changing. The pieces were moving.
He was no longer the only player.
A/N Thank you for reading Chapter 10! Raith has survived, but the changes run deeper than expected. What lineage does Raith belong to? Vote and add Ashes of the Twin Rings to your library to support the story. See you in Chapter 11!