The day I showed up, the world got a little duller.
It wasn't some crazy disaster with the sky bleeding or the earth shaking. Mom said it was just a regular Tuesday. This midwife, Elara, with bright copper hair and green eyes, was giving my dad water. Then I cried for the first time, and the red cup turned a gross, dead brown. Elara's hair went all muddy, and her eyes got this murky gray-green color.
They called it my Stain. An ugly name that fit my ugly talent.
I'm Kaelen, a Grey-Scribe. I didn't ask for it. Fate just decided I'd suck the color out of stuff. I don't see in black and white, but it's like looking at a great painting covered in dirt. The world's like a broken record.
This morning was normal. I woke up in my small room, the sun coming through the window all pale and nasty. I got dressed in my normal clothes. I could only guess what color they were. My pants felt like rough wool. My shirt was softer. Maybe it was blue.
The cottage was warm, the fire glowing a dull red. Mom, Liora, was making porridge. People used to say she had a rosy face, but now it was all beige and gray. She smiled when she saw me, and that felt real, even with my Stain.
Kaelen, she said quietly. Sleep okay?
Good enough, I said, sitting at the wooden table. I didn't look right at her because people tend to freak out when they see me dimming the colors.
Dad, Borin, walked in from outside. He smelled like hay and morning air. He was a big, sturdy guy. He patted my shoulder.
Liam Henderson's looking for you, he said. Says his toy soldier lost its 'shine.'
My stomach dropped. This was my life: a stupid curse. People call me when their stuff fades. Not to fix it, but to finish it off. I make the gray real, so they stop missing the color. I'm a closer.
I'll go after breakfast, I said, pushing the gray cereal around.
Oakhaven was super boring to me. The roofs were dirty straw not gold. The gardens were just dark and light grays instead of bright colors. People walked around, and when I passed, a red shawl would turn dusty rose, and a blue door would go slate gray. It was small, and most people got used to it, but it always happened.
Liam Henderson was a little kid. He stood by his fence with a wooden soldier. The last bit of the paint, maybe a red coat, disappeared, leaving it all brown.
He's plain now, Liam sniffled, showing it to me.
I knelt down and took it. It was cold and smooth. Sometimes things are better plain, Liam, I said. It makes him tough. Dragons can't see him.
Liam's eyes got big. Really?
Yeah, I lied. He's a stealth soldier. The best kind.
He seemed happy and ran off with his gray toy. I stayed kneeling for a bit, feeling down. This was it. My big job: lying to kids and helping people deal with loss.
I went home the long way, near Whispering Woods. The woods were different. Deeper. The trees were old, and my Stain didn't work as well. The grays had depth, like the silver trees and the black shadows. It was as close to beauty as I got.
I sat on my log covered in gray moss and listened to the woods: birds, animals, wind. For a few minutes, I almost forgot.
Then a twig snapped, really loud.
I froze. It wasn't a deer or rabbit. This was someone trying to be quiet.
A guy came out from the bushes. He was tall and wore dark armor that didn't shine. It just sucked up the light. His cloak was super black. His eyes got me, though. They glowed amber, like fire. In my dull world, it was bright.
You, he said, his voice rough. The color-sucker. The Grey-Scribe.
I backed away. I don't know what you mean.
Don't lie, he said, stepping closer. The woods went quiet. I've been looking. The Resonance led me. To this lame village, to this sad world. He waved at the gray trees. You've been ignored for too long.
Leave me alone, I said. I didn't fight. I just made roses dusty.
The Prime Chroma wants to see you, he said, like I knew what that meant. Come with me or I'll drag you.
He reached for me fast. I threw up my hands. As I did, something burst out of me. It wasn't a punch, but a wave of… nothing. No color.
It hit the knight. His dark armor stayed the same, but his eyes died, like a candle. He yelled, not from hurt, but shock, and stepped back.
How dare you! he shouted, now blind in my grayscale.
I ran. I pushed through the woods, branches hitting me. I heard him behind me, crashing around, yelling. I only had a head start because of surprise. He was a warrior, and I was a skinny kid.
I tripped and fell, losing my breath. He stood over me, blinking, still blind, but he could hear me breathing.
Your tricks won't work, Scribe, he said, pulling out a dark sword that hummed.
This was it. I was gonna die, because of this curse.
Then something moved to my left. Was that… color?
It was a woman. She moved smoothly, not like the people in Oakhaven. Her hair was bright silver, not gray, and shiny. I couldn't fade it. Her eyes were purple, glowing.
She held a clear rod. She flicked her wrist, and light shot out, hitting the knight. He grunted, his armor smoking, and fell back.
He got up. Aurelian! he cursed. Stay out of this!
Scribes matter to everyone, Ash-Singer, she said, her voice like bells. The Prime Chroma can't have him.
The knight snarled. He looked like he was thinking. This isn't over, he said, then disappeared into the woods.
It was quiet except for me breathing hard. I stared at Aurelian. She was amazing. Not just because of how she looked, but because she had color. I'd never seen that before.
She looked at me, checking me out. Then she looked sad.
Get up, Kaelen, she said. They found you. Your life is changing.
I couldn't think straight. Who are you? What am I?
She held out a hand. Her skin felt warm.
My name is Lyra, she said. You aren't cursed. You're a Scribe. You can control Chroma. Your 'Stain' is just wild power. She looked where the knight went. But some people want to steal that power and ruin everything.
She pulled me up. My legs were shaky.
Come on, Lyra said, her colors bright. We have a long way to go. Time to learn to see in color.