Volume 43
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
Chapter 2: The Choice at Dawn
They left Greyfen before dawn.
Mist clung to the ground as Lina followed her mother down the narrow forest path, a single lantern swinging between them. The village was silent behind them, as if pretending nothing had happened. Lina kept glancing back, half-expecting the sky to tear open again.
"Where are we going?" she asked for the third time.
Her mother didn't slow. "Somewhere safe."
"That's not an answer."
Her mother sighed and finally stopped near the old stone marker at the edge of the woods. The lantern light carved deep shadows across her face, making her look older, more tired. "Lina," she said quietly, "what you saw tonight was a Rift."
Lina swallowed. "The sky crack."
"Yes. And it hasn't appeared in over twenty years."
The pressure in Lina's chest stirred, reacting to the word. "Why did it happen now?"
Her mother met her eyes. "Because of you."
The forest seemed to lean in closer.
"I don't understand," Lina whispered. "I didn't do anything."
"That's the problem," her mother replied. "You don't have to."
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small metal pendant, dull silver and warm to the touch. Strange symbols circled its surface, faintly glowing. The moment Lina saw it, her chest tightened sharply.
"I was hoping I'd never have to give you this," her mother said, pressing it into Lina's palm. "It's a key. And a warning."
"A warning for what?"
"For what's coming."
The ground trembled—just slightly, but enough. Birds burst from the trees, scattering into the dark sky. Somewhere deep in the forest, something roared, low and distant.
Her mother's grip tightened. "They felt the Rift. That means they'll start searching."
"Who's they?"
Her mother hesitated. "The ones who hunt what doesn't belong in this world."
The pendant flared bright silver. Lina gasped as warmth surged through her veins, not painful—powerful. The air shimmered around her, leaves lifting from the ground as if caught in an invisible wind.
Her mother stepped back, eyes wide with fear and awe. "It's awakened already…"
"I'm scared," Lina said, her voice shaking.
Her mother smiled sadly. "I know. But you have a choice now."
The forest fell silent.
"Run," her mother said softly. "Or become the reason the sky breaks again."