Dain's eyes were full of anger. Without a word, he flipped the blade in his hand and lunged at Kain, aiming straight for his side.
"Kain!" Solene cried out, her voice breaking.
Everything happened so fast.
Kain tried to move, but the blade was quicker. It slashed across his side, making him stumble back with a sharp gasp. He clutched his wound, his face twisting in pain. Blood soaked through his shirt. Not a deep wound, but bad enough.
"No!" Solene rushed to him and dropped to her knees beside him. Her hands hovered helplessly. Her heart pounded in her chest.
Dain stepped closer, his face calm but cruel. "He was always the weaker one," he said. "Always hiding behind others."
Solene stood up slowly. Her hands shook, but her eyes were locked on him. Her chest rose and fell quickly.
"Don't touch him," she said, voice trembling.
Dain smirked. "Or what?"
Solene didn't have an answer.
But something inside her snapped. Not in fear, but in anger
The heat inside her burst forward. Her skin felt like it was glowing. The air around her shimmered, and the ground under her feet trembled lightly.
Dain's smile faded.
Then, light exploded from her.
A wave of fire, sudden and wild, shot from her hands. It wasn't controlledbut it was strong. The flames hit Dain full in the chest and flung him back hard. He crashed into the wall, groaning.
Everything went quiet for a second.
Kain looked up at her, still breathing hard. "Solene…" he said softly.
She looked down at her hands, shocked. Her skin was still warm, faintly glowing. "I didn't mean to," she whispered. "It just… happened."
Kain gave her a weak smile. "That's your power," he said. "You're starting to awaken it."
Solene helped him up gently. He winced but nodded. "We need to go. Now."
They didn't look back.
They rushed out through the back of the house into the night, disappearing into the shadows. Solene kept looking over her shoulder, heart racing, afraid Dain would get up.
But for now, he didn't.
He lay there, burned and breathless.
But not defeated.
The night was cold and dark as Solene and Kain escaped into the woods. The trees stretched tall above them, branches swaying with the wind. The sound of crickets filled the air, along with the sharp crunch of leaves under their feet.
Kain's breathing was heavy. Blood still soaked his side from where Dain had cut him. He leaned against a tree, gripping his ribs tightly.
"We need to stop," Solene said gently. "You're bleeding too much."
He nodded slowly and sat down near a fallen log. Solene knelt beside him, her heart still racing. She looked at his wound, panic creeping in.
"I don't know what to do," she whispered. "I don't know how to stop the bleeding."
She tore a piece of cloth from her sleeve and tried to press it against the wound, but her hands were shaking too much. "Please… hold still," she said, her voice small.
But then, something strange happened.
Right before her eyes, the skin around Kain's wound started to close. The blood slowed. The deep cut began to stitch itself together. Slowly but surely, the wound was healing.
Solene froze. "Wait… what?"
Kain looked down at himself, confused but calm. "It's still there," he muttered.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said. "I just… heal. I always have. Not fast, but… enough."
"You have healing powers?" she asked, still shocked.
He shook his head. "No. At least… not the way other people do. I can't heal others. And I can't control it. My body just… fixes itself."
Solene stared at him, not sure what to say. "That's… incredible."
He gave a soft smile. "It's saved me more times than I can count."
She looked at him with new eyes. The man who trained her. The man who stood between her and death. Now healing in front of her like some quiet magic.
He leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. "We'll rest here," he said. "Just for a bit."
Solene stayed close, watching the firelight flicker in his She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
But tonight, she was safe.
And he was still alive.
The next morning, Solene and Kain set out early. The sky was still a little dark, and the air was cold and quiet. A light fog covered the ground, and everything felt strange, like the world was holding its breath.
They didn't talk much as they walked. Solene stayed close to Kain, her cloak wrapped tight around her. Her heart beat a little faster with every step. She kept thinking about the man they were going to meet, the sorcerer Kain told her about. He used to live in the High Rings, but something happened. Something that made him leave everything behind.
"He saw something," Kain had said the night before. "Something dangerous enough to make him run. Now he lives out here, far from everyone. But if anyone can help us understand your powers, it's him."
As they left the last part of the Merchant Quarters behind, the houses slowly disappeared. The road turned rough, and the trees grew thicker. No people. No noise. Just wind, and the sound of their footsteps.
Finally, they saw it.
A small, crooked house stood at the edge of a rocky hill, hidden between tall trees. It looked like it hadn't been touched in years. The walls were cracked. The roof was bent. And there wasn't another home in sight.
"This is it," Kain said quietly.
Solene nodded, staring at the house. It gave her a strange feeling. Not fear exactly, just something deep in her chest telling her that this man wasn't like anyone else.
They walked toward the house, and the door creaked in the wind.
Inside, someone was waiting.
The wooden door groaned as Kain pushed it open. The inside of the house was dark and messy. Old books were stacked in crooked piles. Dust hung in the air like fog. Strange symbols were carved into the walls, glowing faintly with a dull blue light. The place smelled of herbs, ash, and something sour.
A fire burned low in a small fireplace, casting shadows on the walls. And there, hunched in a corner, sat the man they had come to find.
He was thin, with a long gray beard that looked like it hadn't been brushed in years. His hair was wild, sticking out in every direction. His robes were tattered and stained with old ink and strange powders. His eyes, though, his eyes were sharp, bright, and unsettling, like he could see straight into your thoughts.
"Ahhh... the warrior comes back," the old man said in a scratchy voice, tilting his head. "And he brings a spark with him. Bright little thing, aren't you?"
Solene took a small step behind Kain, unsure of what to say.
"Master Theron," Kain said, bowing slightly. "It's been a long time."
"Time?" the sorcerer barked out a laugh. "I stopped counting when the sun started whispering lies. But yes, yes. The High Rings' golden dog returns."
"I'm not one of them anymore," Kain said calmly. "I left that life behind, like you did."
Theron squinted at him, then looked at Solene again, his eyes narrowing. "And this one? She's the fire you were meant to find, isn't she?"
Solene opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but Kain stepped forward first.
"She needs your help," he said. "We both do."
"Help," Theron muttered, dragging his fingers through the air like he was drawing something invisible. "Everyone wants help. But when I asked for the truth, they buried it under gold."
Kain's voice lowered. "Please, Master. You saw something. That's why you ran from the High Rings. Something dangerous. You have to tell us what it was. I came here before and you told me its connected to her "
Theron's hands froze. He stared into the fire for a long time, saying nothing.
Then, quietly, he whispered, "No."
"But, "
"No!" Theron snapped, his voice sharp like broken glass. "Do you think I gave up everything to speak of it again? I lost my name. My life. My mind. I will not say it."
Kain clenched his jaw. "Whatever it was, it's still out there. She has powers we don't understand. We need to know what we're up against."
Theron looked at Solene again. His voice softened, just a little. "The fire inside her... it's old. Older than kings, older than this kingdom. That kind of power always comes with a cost."
Solene stepped forward, her hands trembling slightly. "Then help me carry it."
The sorcerer stared at her, his wild hair catching the firelight like silver wire. "You'll regret those words, child."
And then, very quietly, he said, "Come back tomorrow. At dawn. I'll think about it."
He turned away, walking deeper into the shadows of his strange home, muttering to himself.
Kain sighed. "That went better than I expected." His tone full of sarcasm
Solene looked around the room once more. She had so many questions, but for now, they would have to wait.
Or they didn't have to....