They hadn't spoken much after Myrren left them with more questions with answers. They returned to their alcove in silence.

  Astrid sat curled on one of the bedrolls, knees tucked under her chin, still reeling from what she'd seen. The mural. The prophecy. The idea that she—powerless, ordinary—was somehow tied to a fate big enough to break the world.

  It made her stomach twist. Her thoughts spun faster than she could catch them.

  What if this prophecy meant she'd never see Charlie again? What if this world wanted her more than her own did?

  Kurai stood near the entrance, pacing again. Always pacing. Like standing still might let the truth catch up to him. His shoulders were tight, jaw set.

  He couldn't breathe. Not properly. Not while Myrren's words still echoed—flame and shadow. Nonsense. It had to be.

  Astrid watched him, the tension radiating off him like heat.

  "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

  He didn't answer.

  "Kurai?"

  "I'm fine," he said too quickly.

  He wasn't.

  Something rippled around him. The light near the entrance flickered. The air grew heavy, buzzing faintly.

  She sat up straighter. "What's happening?"

  "I said I'm fine," he snapped. But his voice carried an echo now, something deeper.

  Bullshit your fine.

  The crystals embedded in the alcove walls dimmed. A few cracked.

  "Kurai—"

  "I didn't ask for this!" he shouted, and the words hit like a thunderclap.

  The walls trembled.

  "You have no idea how fucked we are! Prophecy, more like bullshit!"

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  A rush of heat surged outward. A lantern flared and burst, sparks flying.

  "Stop!" she shouted, scrambling up. "Kurai, you need to stop!"

  But he didn't hear her. Or couldn't.

  His eyes weren't golden anymore. They glowed—molten and slitted like liquid fire. The air shimmered. The floor beneath him blackened.

  It reminded her of the worst parts of herself. Not the fire, but the blankness behind his eyes—the panic without air. The way logic fell away when emotion took over.

  She had no powers. No spells. No special blood.

  But she had to do something.

  So she stepped forward.

  "Kurai!" she said, louder, sharper. "Look at me!"

  The heat pulsed again—erratic, dangerous.

  "I get it," she said, breathless, shielding her face. "You didn't ask for this. Me neither. But this? This won't help."

  Still no response.

  Quick, think Astrid. Calm him down.

  Her heart pounded. "You want the Council to find us? Because this is how they'll find us. You want to burn this place down? Fine. But own it. Not them. Not the prophecy. You."

  The pressure peaked—and snapped.

  The heat vanished. The air reset. The ground went still.

  Thank god. Astrid thought, letting out a shaky breath.

  Kurai stood hunched, breathing hard. His eyes returned to normal.

  He looked up. And for the first time, he looked... afraid.

  "Sorry," he whispered. "I—I didn't mean to—"

  She didn't let him finish. She dropped back onto the bedroll, her own heart still racing.

  "It's okay, I get it. Well," she said, voice shaky, "guess I'm not the only one having a meltdown today."

  Kurai let out a short, broken laugh. It wasn't joyful. But it was something.

  She pulled the blanket tighter. "Next time, punch a wall or something."

  "Not sure the wall would survive," he said, voice low.

  A beat passed.

  "This is so fucked," he added quietly. "Not how I thought how my day would turn out."

  "Yeah, no shit. Besides, that's my line," she muttered. But there was no real bite.

  Silence settled again, but not as heavy.

  "So," he said after a while, voice a little lighter, "you really not from around here then?"

  She huffed. "No."

  He looked at her, his eyes curious—the first time he'd actually shown interest in her.

  She continued, "My world is boring compared to this. Most exciting thing in my day is when my favourite YouTuber uploads, or I splurge on Uber Eats. Forests are just trees, bark, stone and leaves. Nothing floating, glowing or pulsing."

  He blinked. Confused. "uber eats?"

  "Never mind," she chuckled. Then sighed. "I have a family. A little sister. Well, two, but only one probably misses me."

  She crossed to him, pulling out her phone and showing a photo—her and Charlie, smiling.

  He took it in, more curious about the device than the image at first. But his gaze fell onto Astrid's face and then little girl with a bright smile.

  Charlie had soft, fair skin and long, straight blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders. Her eyes were large, curious, and a light blue-gray—just like Astrid's—giving her a quietly observant presence, like she was always studying the world. Her expression was thoughtful, with the tiniest upturn at the corners of her mouth, hinting at clever mischief she kept tucked away.

  "She's not what I was expecting. You two are similar, but different," he murmured.

  "She's a lot younger than me, but she has this quiet confidence—not bold, but grounded. She's always been a kid who listens more than she speaks. And when she does speak, it's blunt, and way beyond her years. The kind of kid who'll point out something profound mid-conversation, then go back to playing with her backpack zipper," Astrid said, pride pushing into her chest. She sighed. "I practically raised her."

  He studied the photo, then her.

  Something shifted in him. His eyes warmed.

  It was also a sad look, subtle, like he was longing for something. But what?

  "I can see why you want to get home so bad," he said softly. "She's probably wondering where you are."

  Astrid looked away, throat tight. "Yeah, I hope so, but I also don't want her to be, I don't want to worry her."

  She moved back to her bedroll. "Well, I'm wrecked. And probably not getting paid for my eight-hour shift." She got comfortable. "You should sleep too."

  "Right," he said. But didn't move.

  Astrid noticed. He was still a spring wound too tight. Restless. Ready to bolt.

  But she didn't call him on it. Just closed her eyes.

  Please be okay kiddo, ill get home as soon as I can.

  All this talk of prophecy, what does it even mean? Of fire and shadow. Whatever I just need to get home. Not my problem, I'm just an ordinary girl in an extraordinary situation.

  Whatever.

  He thoughts continued to fly through her mind, like cars on a highway. Flying past but never being able to make out what they are, just shapes, thoughts, bad ones. Eventually sleep finally took her, Kurai stayed by the entrance, watching the door.

  The fire stayed low. But it never really left.