The sun had slowly risen behind the clouds, leaving streaks of dusky orange smeared across the sky like brushstrokes. Waves rolled gently against the shore, each one a slow exhale from a restless sea. Gulls wheeled above, their cries distant and hollow, like fading memories.
Eli patted the sand beside him without looking up.
"Sit, kid."
Ezra obeyed without question, walking over and settling into the cool grit of the shoreline. The sea breeze played through his hair, carrying the scent of salt and the faint metallic tang of magic still lingering from the Rift cleanup.
Eli absently ran his fingers through the sand, letting the grains slip between them like time.
"You ready for the Blood Moon Trial?" he asked, voice casual—toocasual.
Ezra's lips tugged into a hesitant grimace.
"Not really."
Eli let out a hum, the kind that meant more than it sounded.
"You're luckier than most," he said, turning a small stone over in his hand. "Not too young. Not too old. If you were older, it'd be an advantage. If younger, a death sentence."
Ezra frowned slightly, watching him.
"What does that even mean?"
Finally, Eli looked over. His gaze was sharp, unreadable, like he was sizing Ezra up all over again.
"Didn't they tell you?" he asked. "The Blood Moon Trial doesn't care about age. Or rank. Or wealth. It chooses on a whim—nine or ninety, weak or strong. Doesn't matter. That's what makes it cruel." He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "That's why they call it a curse."
Ezra's mouth felt dry. He picked at the edge of his sleeve.
"How old were you when you were chosen?"
Eli's hand stilled against the sand. For a moment, he didn't answer. Then, slowly:
"Thirteen."
The word hung in the air like a stone dropped in still water.
A humorless chuckle followed, brittle and dry.
"Longest two years of my life." His lips twitched in what might've been a smile, but there was no warmth in it. "I hated every second."
Ezra glanced down, his thoughts spinning. Somehow, hearing Eli say that made the upcoming trial feel more real—more terrifying.
They sat in silence for a time. The only sounds were the hiss of the waves and the slow sigh of wind weaving between them.
Then Ezra spoke, voice quieter now.
"Do you know the Huntsman?"
Eli didn't look at him—but his response was immediate.
"Yes."
Sharp. Clipped. Like a door slamming shut.
Ezra blinked at the tone.
"Who is he? Everyone at the academy talks about him like he's a legend. Like he can't be beaten. But… I dunno." He shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "I think you're better."
That got a reaction.
Eli's eyes flicked toward him, and—for just a moment—Ezra caught something there. Not pride. Not arrogance.
Something older. Sadder.
But then it was gone, and Eli ruffled his hair with a smirk.
"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment… I guess."
He stood in one smooth motion, brushing the sand from his coat.
"Time's up. I've got a mission."
Ezra blinked.
"Already? Where?"
Eli stretched his arms behind his head, spine popping faintly.
"Underground. Someone's been running Haze into the districts. I need to shut it down."
Ezra stiffened.
"Haze? That stuff's real?"
Eli nodded.
"More real than it should be. It's a hallucinogen. Euphoric, dreamlike. Sends people into a trance. They forget the world. Sometimes they don't wake up. Too much of it and the mind just… crumbles."
Ezra's breath hitched.
"Wait—you're going into the Underground?"
Even saying it made his stomach twist. The Underground wasn't just a place. It was a myth. A whispered threat. A vast, forgotten labyrinth beneath the districts where law and light rarely reached. Smugglers. Killers. Unlicensed Resonants. Broken people. Broken rules.
District 5 was close enough that he'd heard stories. Whispers. Screams. Warnings dressed up as bedtime tales.
Eli just looked at him like he'd asked whether water was wet.
"You're forgetting who I am, Ezra."
Ezra opened his mouth to speak, to ask what that meant—
But Eli cut him off with a half-smile, the wind tugging at his coat as he turned away.
"The Huntsman."
Ezra stared, speechless.
The sea crashed behind him. The light dimmed.
And Eli was already gone.