That night, silence fell over Elarin's Edge like a warning.
The skies had turned a bruised gray, moonlight drowned beneath churning clouds. Aiden lay on a simple cot inside Lyra's spare room, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts twisted restlessly — about the mark, the Threads, the word Thread-Soul. It didn't feel real.
But outside, something was very real.
And it was watching.
Far beyond the edge of the village, shadows moved through the trees. Not men. Not beasts. Wraithbinders—creatures of smoke and bone, summoned by those who served the Ash Circle. They had no eyes, no hearts—only purpose.
And tonight, that purpose was Aiden.
---
⚔️
Elric jolted upright at the first scream.
Lyra was already at the door, sword in hand, face pale. "Stay here," she told Aiden.
But he didn't.
As they burst into the village center, chaos exploded. Fire licked the sky as huts burned. Villagers ran, shouting warnings. Three Wraithbinders glided through the air, their claws raking across anything that moved.
Lyra sprinted forward without hesitation, blade flashing. "Get the elders to safety!" she yelled.
Aiden froze, heart hammering. Then he saw a child—no older than six—trapped beneath a fallen tree, crying out as a Wraithbinder descended toward her.
He ran.
Without thinking.
He leapt over a flaming root, landed hard, and raised his hand toward the beast.
> The mark ignited.
Everything slowed again—but this time, it fought him. The Wraithbinder snarled, struggling midair as the threads bent around it, resisting Aiden's grip.
He gritted his teeth, pushed harder.
And then… something snapped.
A new thread appeared—dark, unfamiliar, and coiled with energy like fire and storm. Aiden reached for it.
> WHOOM.
A shockwave burst from him.
The Wraithbinder was torn apart midair, unraveling like cloth in wind.
But Aiden collapsed to his knees.
His breath came ragged. His vision blurred.
Around him, the threads pulsed like veins in the air, some too bright, some too dark.
Lyra appeared beside him, dragging him away just as a second beast slammed down where he'd stood.
She stared at him, blood on her cheek. "What are you?"
He didn't answer. He couldn't.
---
✧ Aftermath:
Two villagers are dead.
The Wraithbinders retreated… for now.
Aiden's surge of power was seen by everyone. Rumors will spread.
He learns: the Threads fight back when forced too hard.
But worse…
In the distance, on the edge of the smoking forest, a figure stood cloaked in silence, watching the village.
And he smiled.
---