Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Hunt Begins

Day broke with a strange, electric stillness over the outcast sanctuary. Warm shafts of morning light barely reached the corners of the underground refuge. Kael was wide awake, hunched over a battered journal, sketching fragments of the orb's runes and mapping what he could recall of the system's shifting language.Sera entered quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her expression was grave. "Scouts saw royal banners at the far ridge. The soldiers are coming. We need to move the exiles today, before the tunnels are found."Kael's mind raced. "How did they find us so quickly?""Word travels," she replied. "Too many are frightened, and some would rather loyalty than risk."Jarek arrived, grim and already armored. "I can lead the group through the lower passages. But you, Kael—you're what they're truly after. If you stay, you risk everyone."Kael hesitated, torn between escape and the responsibility heavy on his chest. "No. I can buy time. If the soldiers see me, they'll focus their search here and ignore the others. Get them to safety."Outside, the morning was broken by the arrival of three regiments clad in blue and gold—Solarel's colors, but now they gleamed with cold menace. Their commander barked orders: "Search every house! Bring me the boy who shattered the system. He is a threat to the world."The exiles moved swiftly, gathering meager belongings and vanishing into the lower labyrinth under Jarek's direction. Sera lingered, defiant in the face of danger. "You don't have to be a martyr," she told Kael. "There's only so much even the Architect can bear.""Sometimes sacrifice is the price of change," Kael replied quietly.He waited until the sound of boots echoed against stone and the commander's voice sounded close. Then he stepped into the open, letting the morning sun illuminate his marked palms.The commander's eyes narrowed. "There he is! Seize him!"Kael called the power up from inside, feeling the ground tremble to his will. Stone columns erupted, blocking the charge of soldiers. Arrows flew, but Kael shaped a barrier of shimmering runes in the air, each arrow dissolving harmlessly.The echoes of battle spread. Sera and Jarek guided exiles out through hidden tunnels, even as Kael sent walls shifting to cut off the soldiers' pursuit. The air filled with dust and magic; shouts rang out as squads were penned in, then ousted by arching bridges or sliding barricades that constantly reshaped under Kael's mental command.For nearly an hour, he held out—exhaustion mounting, the marks on his hands burning like brands. At last, when he saw every last outcast vanish beyond reach, he let himself falter. Royal soldiers flooded in, binding his wrists, knocking him to his knees.The captain stepped forward, mask of command slipping to reveal recognition—and fear. "If you'd fought for us, the war would be won already. Instead, you've sided with traitors and freaks."Kael looked upward, defiant. "I side with those who want to be free. The system is broken—locking everyone into chains, then punishing us when it fails. I will break those chains if I must do it alone."The captain hesitated only a heartbeat before signaling to the guards. "Take him back to the capital. He will answer to the king."As the soldiers led him away, Kael caught one last glimpse of Sera and Jarek vanishing into the shadows. He gave a faint, battered smile.He was a prisoner now, yes. But so long as even one outcast survived, hope still burned.He would not let Solarel's darkness snuff it out.