Ryn woke to the sound of scratching.
Not outside. Not from the square. From inside the map.
His satchel throbbed faintly against his chest as if it had a pulse of its own. He froze, heart hammering.
It's too early. Too soon.
He reached for the quill. The ink shimmered on its own, curling like smoke.
"Not now," Ryn muttered. "I just… I need sleep."
The quill twitched, then moved a line across the blank page.
Ryn's stomach sank. The line formed a shadow, a pathway that didn't exist, weaving through Bramblewick.
He swallowed. It's calling me again.
Kael appeared at the doorway without knocking.
"You're awake," Kael said, voice low, cautious. "Didn't expect you to be."
"I… the map…" Ryn trailed off. "It's.."
Kael's eyes softened slightly, though he tried to hide it. "I know. You can't ignore it. I've seen that look before. Not panic. Recognition. Fear that's… too aware."
Ryn looked at him. "Too aware?"
Kael shrugged. "Maps like this… they test you. And if you listen, they drag you in. They're not forgiving. Not gentle."
Ryn chewed his lip. "I… I didn't choose this."
Kael studied him a long moment. "No one does. But you… you handle it differently than most. You hesitate, yes. You panic, yes. But you… care."
Ryn felt heat rise in his chest. "Care? About what?"
Kael's gaze didn't waver. "About it. About people. About not breaking things that shouldn't be broken."
Ryn blinked. That… that almost sounded like a compliment. He didn't know what to say.
"Don't get used to it," Kael added quickly, voice light again. "I'm not giving out gold stars."
Ryn laughed softly, the tension in his chest easing a little.
Outside, the anomaly waited.
It was smaller than before, but more precise, more deliberate. It didn't charge blindly; it moved as if calculating, learning from yesterday.
Ryn gripped the satchel. "Okay," he whispered. "We do this… together."
Kael nodded. "Together. But you lead. You listen first."
Ryn hesitated. "Me? Lead?"
"You've got instincts," Kael said bluntly. "Use them."
They approached the anomaly slowly. Lines in the map pulsed like nerves.
Ryn drew a circle, hesitant at first, trembling. The anomaly hesitated, then lunged, but Kael's quick boundary line stopped it mid-step.
"Nice reflex," Ryn muttered.
Kael smirked faintly. "Try not to get eaten next time."
Ryn shot him a look, but the hint of a smile crept onto his face despite himself.
The anomaly twisted, then paused. Ryn drew a path, carefully imagining where it wanted to go instead of where he wanted it to stop.
It hesitated. Then flowed into the lines.
The two of them exhaled in unison.
Ryn's hands shook. He glanced at Kael. "We… did it."
Kael didn't answer immediately. He just nodded, but the tension between them softened slightly. Not friendship, not trust yet, but possibility.
Later, when they returned to the Guild, Master Elara waited.
"You succeeded," she said, voice steady. "But success is a beginning, not a guarantee. The rogue cartographer will notice patterns, Ryn. And Kael…"
Kael's jaw tightened. "I get it."
Elara's gaze lingered on both of them. "This is more than training now. Maps are no longer lessons, they are challenges. And challenges will demand sacrifice."
Ryn swallowed. Sacrifice. That word landed heavier than any punishment.
Kael gave him a sidelong glance. "We'll figure it out," he muttered quietly.
Ryn wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust it. But the map pulsed again in his satchel, a quiet reminder: it knows you, and it waits for you to fail.