Chapter Twenty-Two: Whispers in the Mask
The night air in Kareth Reach was unnervingly still. Lanterns hung like golden droplets along the streets, but their light seemed muted, as if the city itself was holding its breath.
Aerin could feel it immediately. The hum beneath their feet was uneven, fractured—not angry this time, but wary. The city was alive and listening, yes—but someone else was whispering too, threading their own influence into the gaps.
"Something's off," Tamsin said, crouched behind a low wall. Her eyes glimmered with mischief and nerves. "It's not just the Choir—it's… someone in the Choir."
Kerris leaned against a streetpost, hands in his pockets. "Do we make friends with secret masked people now? Because I skipped that chapter in hero school."
Aerin's chest tightened. They focused, reaching into the hum of the city, trying to untangle the threads. Yes. There was a presence. Subtle, cautious, yet deliberate—someone hiding inside the Choir who wasn't entirely aligned with them. Someone quietly aiding the city's pulse.
Maelra's hand gripped her staff. "If this is true, we need to find them without being noticed."
A sound came from above—a footstep, careful, almost imperceptible on the roof tiles. A shadow flickered across the street.
"You're being followed," Aerin whispered, heart hammering.
"Nope," Kerris said cheerfully. "We're being watched, which is basically the same thing and twice as dramatic."
Aerin rolled their eyes. "Focus, Kerris."
From the shadows, a figure emerged. Masked, tall, with a cloak the color of midnight. Unlike the Choir's usual precision, this one moved with hesitation—steps careful, almost hesitant, yet deliberate. A hand reached out, gloved fingers brushing a railing, leaving no mark.
"You've felt it too," the figure said quietly, voice filtered by the mask, yet calm, almost gentle.
Aerin nodded. "Yes. You… guide them?"
"I try," the masked figure replied. "But the Choir watches everything. If they knew I intervened…" Their words trailed off. A subtle tremor betrayed tension they otherwise concealed.
Tamsin crossed her arms. "Wait, you're in the Choir, but not…?"
"Exactly," the figure said. "I've been here a long time. I know the rituals, the songs, the way they control… but I cannot condone it anymore."
Maelra narrowed her eyes. "Then you're helping us now?"
The figure hesitated. "I can't guarantee safety. I can guide, redirect, whisper warnings—but overt action draws attention. Too much, and the city will suffer for it."
Aerin stepped closer. "Your interference saved people today. Even if we didn't know it."
"Yes," the figure said. "And you've changed the rules. The Choir doesn't like change. They hate it. And you… you're a catalyst."
Kerris snorted. "Catalyst, huh? I always knew I'd be world-altering at some point. I just hoped it wasn't city politics."
Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Kerris, you're lucky you're structurally important, or I'd…"
Aerin ignored them. "We need your help," they said softly. "The Choir will return. They'll try to control Kareth Reach. And if we don't act…"
"They'll bind it," the figure finished. "Exactly as they planned. But now, the city resists. It knows you are different. It trusts you enough to risk."
Aerin swallowed, pulse racing. "Can we count on you?"
The figure lifted a hand, gloved fingers brushing the air. The hum beneath the street stilled, then rippled. "I cannot act openly. But I can whisper. I can sow doubt. I can slow them without exposing myself. For now… that must be enough."
Maelra stepped forward. "We'll take what we can get."
"Good," the figure said. "Because the Choir will come tomorrow, fully prepared. Masks polished, rituals rehearsed. Their Binding Hymn will be stronger. You will need every advantage."
Aerin's hands clenched into fists. "We'll be ready."
The figure nodded once, then melted back into the shadows of the rooftops, leaving only the faintest whisper of silk against stone.
Tamsin muttered, "Great. A ghost friend in the Choir. Why does every advantage have to be mysterious and dramatic?"
Kerris laughed. "I don't know. But I like it."
Aerin felt the city beneath them pulse—different now. Stronger. Hopeful, cautious, aware. The hum had sharpened, threaded with resistance and patience.
Maelra's voice cut through their thoughts. "Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll face the Choir—and the city will speak with us, not for us."
Aerin closed their eyes, letting the hum settle into their chest. The figure in the shadows was an unknown factor, but a vital one. And for the first time since leaving their home city, Aerin felt… prepared.
Prepared enough to challenge the Choir head-on.
Because Kareth Reach would not be silenced again.