The forest where Lys was hiding was now quieter than usual; there were no birds, only the sound of the wind brushing the wet leaves on the ground. He stayed behind the trunk of a large fallen tree, gazing at the valley from afar. Thin smoke could still be seen from the direction of his village, slowly curling in the air now touched by the light of dawn. In that silence, he felt something he could not describe a biting emptiness, as if a part of himself had been left there along with everything that was lost.
Every step he had taken since the night of the fire felt like walking upon foreign ground. His feet carried his body, but his mind was trapped in a past that could never return. Aetherion was silent, no longer speaking in his mind since they escaped. Only once, before dawn, the creature had whispered faintly that they had to move north. After that silence. Lys did not know whether Aetherion was asleep, injured, or deliberately quiet. But for the first time, he realized how lonely the world was without that voice.
He walked through the forest, following a small stream that flowed between the roots of tall trees. Sometimes he stopped, staring into the clear water, gazing at his reflection that now looked foreign. The wound on his cheek had started to heal, but his eyes were different darker, deeper, as if carrying a weight that could not be explained. He remembered the faces of the people in his village, the neighbors who used to greet him every morning. All of that was now only a faint shadow. When the wind blew, the sound of breaking wood in the distance startled him. Lys crouched, sharpening his hearing. The sound was not from an animal. There were footsteps heavy, rhythmic, trained.
He held his breath and hid behind the bushes. Through the leaves, he saw a figure dressed in dark clothing walking slowly among the trees. His movements were calm, unhurried, yet certain. Every step seemed calculated. On his back hung a long sword, and his cloak was layered with thick leather, with a silver emblem on the shoulder three intersecting lines, the mark of the Order of the Sky Ensnarers. Lys knew that sign. He had seen the same emblem on the chest of the soldiers who burned his village. But this man was different. He did not look like an ordinary soldier. There was something in the way he stood, the way he observed his surroundings like someone used to hunting, not merely fighting.
Lys forced himself not to move. But Aetherion suddenly whispered in his mind, the voice weak but clear. Be careful. That is no ordinary soldier. I recognize his aura. Lys restrained himself from answering, afraid the faint sound would escape his lips. The man stopped near the stream, crouched, then touched the ground with his fingertips. "Blood," he murmured softly, and from the tone of his voice, Lys knew he wasn't guessing. He truly knew whose trail he was following.
Several long seconds passed. Then, without turning, the man said flatly, "You can come out now." Lys froze. He didn't know how the man could tell. Maybe from his breath, maybe from the rustling of leaves, or maybe because this man was simply too experienced to be deceived. After a moment that felt like eternity, Lys slowly rose from his hiding place and stepped out.
Their eyes met. Lys could now see the man's face clearly. His hair was jet black, tied back, with a few strands falling over his temples. His jawline was sharp, but his gaze did not show hatred. It was more like assessment cold, calm, yet full of calculation.
"Who are you?" Lys asked, though his voice sounded weaker than he intended."Darian Korr," he replied curtly. "Captain of the Order of the Sky Ensnarers. And you, I believe, are the boy who carries the light from the heavens."
Lys gripped his knife tighter. "If you came to capture me, then you already know what happens to those who try."Darian didn't respond to the threat. He only stared at Lys with unreadable gray eyes. "I saw the ruins of your valley," he said slowly. "Everything burned but not by ordinary fire. There was something else there. An energy that should not exist in the human world."
Lys swallowed hard. "I didn't want any of this," he said softly."I don't care what you want," Darian replied flatly. "What matters is what you carry."
They fell silent for a moment. The sound of the stream and the wind among the leaves became the only noises. Lys tried to predict Darian's next move, but he couldn't. The man seemed like someone living between two worlds too human to be a machine of the kingdom, yet too cold to be called merely human.
"Tell me," Darian said finally. "What fell that night? What came out of the crater?"Lys turned away. "I don't know. I only know... something saved me.""And now it's inside you."Lys didn't answer, but his gaze was enough of an admission.
Darian exhaled. "So it's true." He looked at Lys longer this time, as if searching for something behind the young man's eyes. "I can feel it. That energy... it's not of this world."Aetherion whispered again, He's dangerous, but his heart isn't completely dark. Lys bit his lip. He knew Darian could be a deadly enemy if the situation changed, but something inside him resisted striking first.
Darian took a slow step forward but stopped at a safe distance. "Do you know why the kingdom fears you?"Lys shook his head."Because they see in you something even kings cannot control something that can't be measured or bound by power.""I don't want power," Lys said quickly. "I just want to live in peace."Darian looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Unfortunately, the world leaves no room for people like that."
Silence fell again. Only their breathing could be heard soft but heavy. Darian lifted his hand to the hilt of his sword but did not draw it. "I should end this now," he said slowly. "That is my order.""Then why haven't you done it?" Lys challenged hoarsely.Darian stared sharply, then lowered his head slightly. "Because I'm not sure you're the enemy."
The words made Lys freeze. He hadn't expected to hear such a thing from the mouth of his foe."I once killed a child," Darian continued softly, his voice heavy. "He also had light in his eyes. They called him a bearer of the curse. I obeyed my orders. But afterward, I realized what I'd killed wasn't a demon just a human who didn't understand what was happening to him."Lys looked at him for a long time, trying to understand. "And now you're afraid of repeating the same mistake?"Darian didn't answer. He just stared deep into the forest, as if searching for something invisible to others.
Minutes passed without words. The air between them was filled with a tension that couldn't be explained. Lys knew that a single wrong move could end his life, but he also knew Darian was fighting a battle within himself."If you're afraid of me, just kill me," Lys said suddenly. "I won't run."Darian's eyes flicked toward him, narrowing. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of what will happen if the world learns of your existence."
Aetherion trembled in his mind, like electricity trying to restrain itself from bursting out. Don't provoke him, Lys. But the young man no longer wanted to hide. He took one step forward, staring directly into Darian's eyes. "Then decide now. Me or your orders."
Darian didn't move. Only his eyes shifted from Lys's face to the hand gripping the knife. "You think this world is that simple?" he said quietly. "If I kill you, I only continue the same cycle the foolishness people call truth." He lowered his hand from the hilt and stood straight. "I won't do it."
Lys was stunned. "You're letting me go?""For now," Darian replied. "But listen carefully, Lys Arven. There is a limit to every doubt. If one day you lose control if that light becomes a weapon I will be the one to cut you down."Lys stared at him for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "I'll be waiting for that day."
Darian stepped closer, stopping only two meters away. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," he said. "The kingdom won't stop because one man hesitates. They'll send more, and they won't be like me. They won't ask questions. They'll just burn.""I've already seen them burn everything," Lys answered softly. "I have nothing left to lose."
Darian sighed, then looked north. "Then go. There's an old city called Therin beyond the mountains. Many people hide there from the eyes of the kingdom. They won't ask who you are, as long as you don't bring trouble."Lys was silent. He hadn't expected Darian to give him a way out. "Why are you helping me?"Darian looked back at him, and for the first time, there was something resembling pity in the man's eyes. "Because I was once like you," he said quietly. "Believing that orders were truth. But the world isn't that black and white."
The sound of a breaking branch in the distance made them both turn instantly. Darian drew his sword. "My troops are coming," he said quickly. "You have to go now."Lys hesitated. "What about you?""I'll buy you time."
Lys had no other choice. He turned and began to run through the trees, while Darian stood firm, facing the direction of the sound. Moments later, four armed soldiers emerged from the mist. "Captain!" one of them called out. "We found tracks around here!"Darian looked at them coldly. "There's nothing here. The tracks end at the river.""But we—""That's an order," Darian cut sharply. "Return west. I'll sweep this area myself."
The soldiers hesitated, but eventually bowed and left. When their footsteps faded, Darian lowered his sword and stared toward where Lys had vanished. Silence only the sound of the wind remained.
He stood there for a long time, alone in the thinning fog. In his mind, the image of Lys's face appeared those blue eyes, not like a threatening light, but like someone still trying to understand who he was. Darian knew he had just defied a direct order from the king. Yet for reasons he couldn't explain, the decision felt right.
He took a deep breath and sheathed his sword. "Foolish boy," he murmured softly, unsure if it was meant for Lys or for himself. Then he turned and walked the other way, leaving footprints on the wet ground that would soon be erased by the rain.
In the distance, Lys kept running until his legs felt heavy. When he finally stopped, his breath was ragged and the sky had turned gray. Amid the blowing wind, Aetherion's voice finally returned weak but warm. You are not alone, Lys. The world is beginning to change, and it all started with this meeting.
Lys looked toward the forest behind him, where Darian had stood. In his heart, a strange feeling grew not fear, nor hatred, but an acknowledgment that their fates were now intertwined, whether as allies or enemies in the days to come. He took a deep breath and started walking north again, leaving the forest and his past behind.