Caius stood in the underground chamber, dozens of eyes on him. The air was thick with expectation, but he had no answers to give.
They think I'm something I'm not.
Elias, the burly leader of the resistance, studied him like a man inspecting a dull blade. "You're the lost prince of Evernight." His voice was measured, skeptical. "And you're Timeborn."
Caius tensed at the word. He wasn't even sure what it meant yet.
Selene folded her arms. "He reversed time during a fight with the Hollow Knights."
Murmurs rippled through the gathered rebels. A few looked intrigued. Others… wary.
Elias rubbed his jaw. "That power of yours—can you control it?"
Caius hesitated.
He thought about the way time had warped when the knight's blade nearly struck him, the way reality had snapped back into place as if he had rewritten the moment itself. It hadn't been a conscious effort. It had been instinct.
And it had left him drained.
"I… don't know," he admitted.
Elias's expression darkened. "Then it's a liability."
Selene scoffed. "Told you he was a risk."
Garran stepped forward. "A risk worth taking."
Elias turned to him. "We're not gambling with a name, Garran. Evernight fell because the royals had power and didn't know how to use it." His sharp gaze landed back on Caius. "So tell me, boy. Are you different? Or will you shatter like the rest of your bloodline?"
Caius felt something cold twist in his chest. He clenched his fists.
"I didn't ask for this," he said, voice low. "I didn't ask to be a prince. I didn't ask to have this—" He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "But the Hollow Legion is hunting me, and I can't change that. So either let me stay and learn what I can do, or I'll walk out that door and take my chances alone."
The chamber went silent.
Then, after a long pause—
Elias smirked. "Hah. There's some fire in you, at least."
He turned away. "Garran, take him to the training grounds. If he's staying, he needs to learn how to fight."
Caius exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders. He wasn't sure if he had won anything here.
But for now—he had a place.
And maybe, just maybe, a chance to understand the power running through his veins.