The sky hung low with bruised clouds, casting a dim light over the forest floor. Mist coiled between the roots like it was reluctant to leave. The air was cold but not biting — still, it crept under Lyra's skin, clinging like a shiver.
She sat quietly near the boy's unconscious form, arms wrapped around her knees. The boy hadn't stirred since she had dragged him under the shade of a gnarled tree. His breath was shallow, uneven. Wounds lined his arms and ribs, some dried, others still faintly bleeding. Bruises bloomed like ink beneath his skin.
He looked like he had barely escaped death — and perhaps hadn't escaped at all.
"Will he even survive in this state?" she asked quietly, not with her voice, but her thoughts.
"He will," Noxy's voice answered inside her mind. "His body carries a faint regenerative trait. Painfully slow — but it will keep him alive."
Lyra exhaled a shaky breath. "I can't leave him here."
"Then don't. But stay watchful."
Lyra nodded, brushing a few strands of hair from her face as she settled beside the boy once more.
Time crawled.
Eventually, the boy stirred. His fingers twitched. His breath caught in his throat.
Then — a gasp.
His eyes flew open.
Wild. Brown. Panic flared instantly behind them. He jerked upright, only to collapse back with a grunt of pain.
"Hey—hey, it's okay!" Lyra raised both hands in a calming gesture. "I'm not your enemy. You were already hurt when I found you."
His gaze darted around, confusion and fear thick in his expression. "You're alone?"
Lyra gave a hesitant nod. "Yes. Just me."
She kept her thoughts tightly guarded. Noxy had warned her not to speak openly about their connection — not yet. Not to strangers.
The boy groaned, one hand drifting to his side where the worst wound throbbed beneath layers of crusted blood. He didn't ask any more questions — just stared at her, guarded.
Minutes passed in silence.
The boy didn't speak for a while. Then finally, "How long have I been out?"
"A few hours."
He nodded faintly. Then frowned. "You… did you heal me?"
"No," she said. "You started healing on your own. Your body did it."
A flicker of disbelief passed over his face, then faded into a frown.
He shifted, carefully. His whole frame trembled with the effort.
"They'll come back for me," he murmured. "You should go."
"Who will?"
"Bandits," he said through clenched teeth. "They ambushed me after I left the valley. I tried to outrun them. Thought I could make it to the outer ridge."
He gritted his teeth. "Didn't think they'd follow me this far. But they know I've awakened."
Lyra's brow furrowed. "Awakened?"
"Gifted," he explained, voice ragged. "Not many of us are. everyone's born normal — but a few… a rare few awaken powers. They come without warning. Mine showed up a few weeks ago. Strength. Regeneration. Minor, but enough to be worth something. When they found out… they saw gold. Gifted slaves fetch a fortune."
He leaned his head back, breath ragged. "They saw me as coin. Power like mine's rare. A slave with awakened strength? They'd make a fortune."
Lyra felt a chill rise in her spine. "They'd sell you?"
"They would've already, if I didn't slip away."
Lyra's hands clenched around her knees. The cruelty of it turned her stomach.
"You escaped at least. That's what matters," she said quietly.
He gave a bitter chuckle. "Barely. I was bleeding out before you found me."
Silence settled again. Then he looked at her more closely.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
Lyra shook her head. "I don't know where I'm from. I woke up in a field. I remember nothing. Only my name, Lyra."
He studied her a moment longer, then nodded faintly. "Kael. That's mine."
She offered a gentle smile. "It's good to meet you, Kael."
He managed a grunt of acknowledgment.
A long pause followed, broken only by the wind curling through the branches above. Then Kael shifted again, grimacing.
Lyra noticed his glance flick sideways.
"You were… talking earlier," he said. "But no one else was here."
Her breath hitched. She schooled her expression quickly.
"You probably heard me thinking out loud," she lied, then paused — no, that wouldn't convince him. "Sometimes I… speak to myself when I'm nervous."
Inside her mind, Noxy's voice hummed with amusement. "Not bad. But if he keeps asking questions, tell him as little as you must."
Lyra gave a subtle nod.
Kael didn't push further. He simply leaned his head back against the bark and closed his eyes for a moment.
"I left my village to find my brother," he said after a while, his voice barely above a whisper. "He left a season ago — wanted to grow strong. Said he'd return. But he never did."
Lyra listened, her heart tightening.
"When I awakened, I thought maybe I had a chance," Kael continued. "To survive out here. To find him. But I barely made it past the ridge before they came for me."
"You were brave to come this far," she said softly.
Kael snorted. "I was stupid. Power doesn't mean you're ready."
She stayed quiet.
The forest was still, holding its breath between the trees. A hush settled, thicker than mist.
"You should probably leave me now," Kael muttered again. "They'll track me eventually. And if they see you…"
Lyra's gaze didn't waver. "I'm not leaving."
He turned his head slightly, one brow twitching up. "Why not?"
She considered the answer.
Because it's the right thing to do. Because no one else might help him. Because, deep down, she couldn't bear the thought of another person being left to bleed out alone.
But all she said was, "Because of no reason, it's just don't feel like me if I left you alone."
Kael looked away, silent.
From the edge of her awareness, Noxy murmured again. "You're changing. More than you realize."
Lyra lowered her head. "Am I ready for any of this?"
"No," Noxy said gently. "But you're learning. That's what matters."
The wind stirred again, softer this time. A lull settled between them — not peace, but a fragile calm. Enough to survive the night.
And under the broken sky, in the quiet shade of the gnarled tree, two strangers shared the silence.
Neither knowing what would come next.