Jude's eyes narrowed. "You're saying you have it too?"
Elias nodded. "I do."
Jude took a step closer. "Then what happened to you? You disappeared. You left."
Elias' gaze didn't waver. "I didn't leave. I was taken."
Jude felt the air shift around them, like the very world was listening. His mind raced, trying to process the words. "Taken? By who?"
Elias didn't answer right away. Instead, he let his fingers tighten around the fragment. "This power… it doesn't just exist in the world. It exists in us. And when you carry it, others will always try to take it."
Jude's chest tightened. "Who?"
Elias let out a slow breath. "The ones who came before us. The ones who believed they could shape the world to their will. They were wrong. But they don't know that yet."
Jude took another step closer. "And you? What did they do to you?"
Elias hesitated, just for a second. Then he said, "They tried to make me forget."
Jude felt something cold settle in his stomach. "Forget what?"
