The sun was rising over Etharyon when Kai returned to work at the warehouses. Ropes creaked, cargo wagons came and went without rest, and the smell of stored grain mingled with the rust of chains.
Ronan, already sweating, waved when he saw him.
"About time. I thought you were going to hide again."
Kai adjusted his worn gloves and replied without enthusiasm.
"No point in running. The work is always waiting."
They were hauling heavy crates to a new storage building. A makeshift ladder led to the second floor, where the wood still smelled of fresh resin. Kai climbed slowly, balancing an iron crate. The weight was too much for one person, but the foreman accepted no excuses.
On the third step, the ladder creaked.
A sharp crack echoed, and before he could react, the step gave way.
Kai fell along with the crate. The world spun. Instinctively, fear exploded in his chest. Something burned inside him—a spark, like fire running through his veins.
The crate, which should have crushed him, floated in the air for a brief moment, veering away from his body before crashing to the ground and splintering the floorboards.
Silence spread through the warehouse.
Everyone stared at Kai, still kneeling, sweat running down his brow. The air around him seemed to vibrate, as if an invisible wave had just passed through.
One of the workers spat on the ground.
"I knew it… those gray eyes weren't natural."
Another shouted:
"Freak! Witchcraft!"
Kai stepped back, his heart pounding.
"I… I don't know what happened."
Ronan ran to him, trying to place himself between Kai and the others.
"Stop it! It was just an accident!"
"An accident?" the foreman bellowed, pointing a finger at him. "The boy deflected an iron crate in midair! And you want me to believe that was luck?"
The tension erupted into angry voices. Kai knew there was no explanation that would convince them.
When they tried to grab him, Kai reacted on instinct. He slipped past them, shoving one of the men aside. Then he ran through the narrow streets, hearing shouts behind him.
"Catch him! Don't let him escape!"
Boots struck against stone, the alleys echoing with footsteps and threats. Kai turned corners, stumbled over barrels, nearly tripped over a snarling dog. The air burned in his lungs.
For a moment, he thought they would catch him. But he found a side gate half-open and hurled himself through it, rolling down the slope until he reached the open fields beyond the city.
The wind of the plains struck his face. The walls of Etharyon were behind him now, but the shouts still echoed in his mind.
On the dirt road ahead, a wagon approached slowly. A gray horse pulled the vehicle, its load covered with worn tarps.
The man driving it was a traveler with a short beard, sharp eyes, and an expression far too calm for the situation. He held the reins steadily, as if he had been expecting someone.
"Looks like you're running from something serious, boy," he said in a rough voice. "Get in quickly, before they change their minds and send guards after you."
Kai stood still, breathing hard.
"I don't trust strangers."
The man gave a crooked smile.
"You don't have to trust me. You just have to survive."
Kai looked around. The field stretched open in every direction, with nowhere to hide. Behind him, the city still held eyes that would judge him forever.
He took a hesitant step back.
"I can keep going on my own."
"On your own?" the traveler raised an eyebrow. "And where will you go? To the next village, where they'll hear the same rumors? To the roads, where the Paladins are already hunting hybrids?"
Kai froze. The name cut through him like a blade.
"How do you know about that?"
The man pulled the reins, bringing the wagon to a stop.
"Let's just say I know the kind of hunt that starts with whispers and ends in bonfires. You don't have another choice."
Kai clenched his fists. His instincts screamed not to trust him. Yet deep down he knew the truth standing before him: staying meant death, leaving was his only chance.
He climbed onto the wagon without another word.
The traveler flicked the reins, and the horse began to move.
"Good choice." He smiled faintly. "The name's Eldric. And whether you like it or not, boy, your path has just changed."