Yuri stood calmly in front of the door when, suddenly, a loud roar echoed from inside.
"What happened?" Yuri shouted as he burst into the room.
The scene before him offered no immediate explanation, nor any signs of danger. Haran, now fully clothed, cradled his son in one arm, gently rocking the crying baby.
"I'm sorry, Yuri," Haran said, his voice steady but tinged with regret. "I was clumsy and knocked over the hot cauldron. I shouted out in pain. I didn't mean to frighten you or my son." His other hand, red and raw from the burn, rested in the cool water of the cold cauldron. "Please, give me a few minutes. The cold is helping."
Yuri's shoulders relaxed, and he exhaled in relief. "It's... It's no trouble," he said softly.
After a few minutes, Haran stood, gathering his son close once more, and they began the quiet trek back to the cabin.
* * *
"I think we should start with an explanation of what brought you to our village," Adel said, initiating his conversation with Haran the next day. Adel was far more serious that day, with no trace of the cheerfulness he had displayed before.
"A few years ago, my wife and I became adventurers," Haran began, but Adel was taken aback by that statement and interrupted him immediately.
"Why would city folk be interested in becoming adventurers? That's usually a death sentence, and, at least for the villagers, it's something usually chosen when there is no life for you in your community. You could have served your city through military service."
Haran smiled faintly. "You are right, we could have joined the military. But you are wrong about who joins the adventurers. More and more town folk do. It's not just about not feeling you don't belong anywhere, it is also about the adrenaline rush, about traveling the lands, making legends of the feats."
"Hmmph, our village has always been very conservative on this matter. Adventurers, while useful as hired soldiers, owe loyalty to coin only. And I couldn't even imagine myself giving a quest to a person from the city. In any other scenario that would mean my death," Adel replied coldly.
Haran's tone shifted as he continued, his gaze distant. "While people join for the thrill of an adventure, our goal was different. My wife and I shared a fascination with soul crystals. She was a medic; I served in a special unit of the church. We were captivated by the possibilities, watching how even powders from these crystals worked. We dreamed of what humanity could achieve by harnessing the raw power of pure and soul crystals."
Adel's face darkened, and Haran could see the judgment forming in his eyes.
"Haran, you know as well as I do that these crystals are seen as a point of conflict between city folk and the villagers," Adel said, his voice heavy with disapproval.
"You've offered me your hospitality, Adel," Haran replied, his tone steady. "In return, I'll offer you the truth, whether it pleases you or not. The past is immutable. May I continue?"
Adel gave a reluctant nod, though his furrowed brow betrayed his unease.
"We joined a guild in the city. At first, it was nearly impossible to find adventurers willing to search for pure and soul crystals. Tainted crystals are common—cities have miners for those. But pure crystals require rare conditions, and soul crystals? They often demand chasing myths. Years can pass before finding a single crystal, let alone reaping its rewards. And then there are the users of these crystals."
"Blasphemy," Adel interrupted, his voice cold and absolute.
"Adel, the church hides many secrets about these crystals. But it's undeniable that cities wouldn't be what they are without drawing magic from their energy."
"And the cost, Haran? What of that?" Adel's tone grew sharper. "The church has cities under its thumb, and people have forsaken nature. They twist and break natural laws for their convenience, rushing processes that were never meant to be hurried. And the cost? It's ignored, swept aside. The fortresses rise, and no one looks at what happens beyond the walls. And when even the ground no longer suffices, you take to the skies, but even the skies betray you now, don't they?"
Adel's criticisms came one after another, but Haran stopped him abruptly.
"The cost is too high," Haran said, cutting him off. His gaze dropped, taking a painful sigh. "I wish I had known that before I paid it."
Adel's posture softened, his features shifting from anger to empathy. With a sigh, he nodded.
"My apologies," Adel said, his voice quieter now. "Age has made me brash. I've seen too much—more than I care to admit. I leapt into this conversation expecting you to be another preacher extolling the virtues of those cursed crystals."
"They're cursed, yes," Haran said, his voice calm but tinged with bitterness. "But curses are a matter of perspective. Those who follow the church's doctrines claim the crystals bring progress, that each day their methods yield discoveries that push humanity forward. Others who dare to use pure or soul crystals seek to twist the limits of what a human body can endure, what a mind can achieve. But Adel," he said, leaning forward, his voice dropping, "the Creators didn't give us these crystals as a curse. We turned them into one."
Adel shook his head. "I don't want to have this debate with you today, Haran. But from your story, I assume that things have gone too far. But please, continue. You left off at finding allies."
"Yes, and we eventually came across a team of adventurers. Their goal wasn't directly to sell the crystals. Alongside the standard jobs posted by the guild, they also followed rumors, hoping to find and keep the crystals for themselves. In Rohana's history, many have dreamed of combining multiple crystals to become as powerful as Rohai. The members of my party had the same idea."
Adel's hand rose to his forehead, massaging it as if the very idea caused him pain. His words, when they came, were weary. "Sometimes fantasies are best left as they are. People dream of usurping the gods, and then they act surprised when gods strike them down."
Haran met his gaze and said quietly, "Adel, let me ask you something. Have you ever activated a soul crystal?"
Adel, caught off guard, shook his head with a negative response. But his body language indicated that something was off. It was as trauma flooded his mind, and he was now trying to collect himself.
Haran, choosing to ignore that fact, continued.
"The first crystal you activate brings whispers, faint but persistent. By the second, the whispers grow louder. The third brings hallucinations, visions you cannot escape. By the fourth, you start to lose yourself; you start to lose touch with reality. What happens beyond that?" Haran paused, his expression dark. "I don't know. Even obtaining that information came with a high cost, and stirred problems with the church noticing our investigations. But Rohai... Rohai carries seven of them. Seven spikes are embedded in his staff. The church would see me executed for even questioning what kind of burden he endured. Is he even a human being? They claim he is and that he has been rewarded by the creators for all of the suffering. They have the ceremonies every few decades to elect a new one when the old one dies. Adel, I think they are lying."
Adel exhaled deeply, his features softening with age-worn understanding. "Haran, I don't doubt they hide much. Our ancestors abandoned the cities because they saw what you describe—the slow erosion of humanity as the crystals took hold. They chose this life so we wouldn't lose ourselves."
He then reached into his coat and pulled out a flask, its metal glinting faintly in the light. He poured two mugs of mead, the golden liquid catching the fire's glow, and passed the second mug to Haran. Adel took a sip and then asked coldly.
"How many crystals have you activated?"