My hand tingled where Lyra touched me. I stared, my head spinning with fear, confusion, and a tiny bit of hope. Her words echoed, but they were crazy. Not a curse, but a power? A Scribe?
You're… you're in color, I whispered, feeling stupid as soon as it was out.
Lyra smiled, a little sadly. And you're not. That's what happens when you're untethered. Your own power is out of control, turned back on you. We need to go. The Ash-Singer won't be alone for long, and those guys don't take losing well.
Go where? My voice cracked. My home… my parents…
They're in more danger if you go back, Lyra stated, not arguing. Her eyes were cold. The Prime Chroma's people know where you are. They'll use anyone to get to you. You being in that village is a death wish for everyone.
Her words hit hard, stopping me. I thought of my mom's face, my dad's hand—I couldn't bring that danger to them. I'd always been a bother; I didn't want to be a disaster.
I looked at my hands, the same ones that had just pushed back an armored guy with… nothing. A power. My stomach churned.
Who's the Prime Chroma? What does he want?
Questions for later, Lyra said, already moving toward the woods. Every second we wait is risky. Can you run?
I nodded, my legs like jelly. But fear is a good push. I glanced back at Oakhaven, my heart heavy. No goodbyes. No talk. Just the gray forest and the bright woman leading me away from everything.
We didn't run, but darted through the trees. Lyra knew the land well, stepping quietly. I followed, clumsy and loud. Her silver hair was a light to follow in this messed-up world.
After what seemed like forever, we left the trees onto a small trail along the hills.
Where are we going? I asked, gasping.
Away, she said, not slowing. To a place where the world hasn't been so… messed with. Somewhere Chroma is strong. We need a Nexus.
A what?
Where ley lines meet. Where reality is thin, and Chroma flows well. You'll get your first lesson there.
The sun went up, all light and white-yellow. My world was still gray. I kept looking at Lyra. Her cloak, a dark green, stayed green. Her boots were brown. She was color in my gray world.
Your Stain doesn't work on me, she said, without turning, like she knew what I thought. I'm attuned to Violet Chroma—will, protection, clarity. It helps me block outside stuff, even a Scribe's power.
Power, I repeated, feeling bad.
Untrained. Unwilling. Same diff. Your power leaks out, like blood, and attracts trouble. She glanced back. When you look at something, what do you see?
I frowned. I see… what it is. Trees are trees. Rocks are rocks. They're just… colorless.
That's how a kid sees it, she said softly. You see the outside. You think no color is how things are. It's not. You see the light, but your own unstable nature hides it. You're blocking the song of everything you see.
We walked, her words sinking in. I never thought of it like that. I thought the world was bright, and I was seeing less. The idea that I was making it worse was scary.
Can you… teach me to stop? I asked quietly.
I can teach you control. To hear the song before you quiet it. To lead, not mute.
As the day passed, the land changed. The hills around Oakhaven became rougher. The air got colder. We were heading into the Serrated Fangs, mountains I only saw as a dark shape far away. A place of bandits and scary stuff, or so I'd heard.
My stomach rumbled loudly, reminding me of breakfast.
Lyra stopped by a stream. Rest. Ten minutes. She took off a small pack. She gave me dried meat and a biscuit and filled a water skin from the stream.
I ate the tough meat, my mind racing. The Ash-Singer… he called you Aurelian. What's that?
She drank some water. It's my order. The Aurelian Guard. We… protect. We keep Chroma balanced in the world.
And the Prime Chroma?
She looked grim. He was one of us. The best Scribe of his time. He thought pure Chroma was weak. That feelings, art, life—all from color—were messy and flawed. He wants to 'fix' existence by draining it, making it one color under his control. He calls it 'The Great Unification.' We call it 'The Greying.'
I felt a cold dread, worse than before. The Greying. It wasn't just me; it was his goal.
And I… my Stain…
You're a natural door to his work, Lyra said, watching me. A wild, powerful Scribe. If he can twist you, teach you to drain Chroma, his work would speed up a lot. You'd be his best weapon.
I felt bad. I dropped the biscuit, losing my appetite. I had always messed things up. Now, I could ruin everything.
I don't want that, I whispered. I never would.
That's why I'm here, Lyra said softly. And why we need the Nexus. Your will is key, but not enough. You need to know what you're touching.
We went on as the sun went down, turning the sky pale lemon and lavender—pretty, I guess, for others. Lyra led me off the trail up a rocky slope. It was hard, and my muscles burned.
Finally, as night came, we found a small cave, hidden by a bush. In here, Lyra said. It's safe.
The cave was small but dry. Lyra lit a crystal lamp that gave off a soft light, a true light in my dim world. She sat across from me.
Before sleep, we start, she said. Close your eyes.
I did, the blackness a relief from the gray.
Okay. Now, forget what you see. Focus on how you feel. Her voice was calm. The world isn't quiet, Kaelen. It sings. Stone, water, leaves all have a frequency. It's their Chroma. You've felt it, just didn't know it. You see discomfort, so you silence it.
I listened. At first, nothing. Just my breath and the stream. But then, slowly, I felt it. A faint hum. Not a sound, but a feeling, a tingling on my skin.
I… feel something, I said, amazed. A vibration.
That's the Chroma of the stone, Lyra said. Deep and slow. It's the Umber hue—steady, patient. Don't change it. Just listen.
I focused on the hum, letting it wash over me. For the first time, the gray of the cave wasn't empty. It felt like a held breath. A quiet light.
Now, Lyra whispered, open your eyes.
I did. The cave was still gray. But different. The gray wall had a depth I'd never seen. It wasn't just gray; it was Umber-gray. It felt full. It was singing.
A tear ran down my cheek. For years, I'd been blind. And in this cave, with a bright stranger, I took my first step toward sight.
Lyra watched, her eyes soft. See? You're not a curse, Kaelen. You're a listener. You hear the world's secret song. And soon, she added, looking determined, you'll learn to sing back.