Dust still danced in the air in the academy's east tower. Crystal lamps glowed dimly, casting long shadows on the stone walls.
Kael sat at the edge of the balustrade. His training sword was gripped in his hand, but his mind was in chaos.
Tick….
Tick….
Tick….
The beat he heard in his chest was no longer the same as the world around him. "Rhythm…?" he whispered. "What does it mean… do I have my own rhythm now?" He closed his eyes, feeling his breath, the whisper of the wind, and his own heartbeat. Everything felt… wrong. Not synchronized.
Light footsteps were heard. Kael opened his eyes. That figure appeared at the end of the balustrade.
Maren.
She stood still, looking at Kael with eyes that gleamed under the moonlight.
"You're alone again?" her voice was soft, but full of concern. Kael shrugged.
"Aether said… tomorrow morning I have to go to the east tower. He… will teach me."
Maren nodded, then sat beside him.
"I've felt like that before," she said softly. "Like the world and I were moving with two different rhythms. It's hard… to adjust."
Kael turned his head.
"How'd you handle it?"
A faint smile appeared on Maren's face.
"By accepting that… sometimes we have to go against the current to find the path."
Tick….
Tick….
Tick….
The sound of the clock inside Kael grew louder now. He looked at his back, trying to feel the Chrono Halo that was slowly fading. "But… what if I'm wrong… what if I destroy more than what can be fixed…" Kael swallowed. "I'm wrong, Maren."
Maren placed her hand on Kael's shoulder.
"I know," she said almost in a whisper. "I'm afraid of losing you… but your power… is not only destruction. You can become something more. Something this world truly needs."
Kael lowered his head. His sword rested on his lap.
"I want to believe… but it feels like every time I try, I only make things worse."
Maren looked at him, full of conviction.
"Kael… you haven't tried everything. And you're not alone. I will remember you, even when the world might forget. You have to believe in yourself."
Suddenly, a thin light appeared from Kael's back. The Chrono Halo glowed, softer than before, like a heartbeat reconnecting.
Kael smiled faintly. Kael held back his tears that were almost falling without him realizing.
"In that case… I will try. I will find that rhythm… and make sure my power is not a curse."
Maren smiled, patting his shoulder once.
"Tomorrow, you will begin to learn. But tonight… it's enough for you to understand one thing your power is not to destroy the world. It is to… give it a second chance."
The night wind blew more calmly. Clouds moved slowly in the sky, as if time itself was waiting for Kael to understand his place in the world.
Tick….
Tick….
Tick….
Kael felt a rhythm that was not frightening.
A rhythm that he could call his own.