"A little farther." Erith’s voice carried easily in the still woods—calm, but unmistakably a command.

The Vice Captain’s only reply was the steady sound of his footsteps as he walked deeper into the woods.

The wolf-like Murasi trailed them curiously at a distance, its hazy glow weaving through the trees.

The forest thinned, giving way to the same clearing where Erith had stood nights ago. 

The Vice Captain’s eyes flicked to the circle of stones, their arrangement too precise to be natural. His brow furrowed as his gaze returned to Erith gathering kindling beneath the nearby trees.

"When I was younger, I attended my father's coronation as Captain of the Pining Frost in Adlarath's capital," said the Vice Captain. "It was a few years after the drought began. I remember seeing the King's Illuminary—nearly all of them in attendance. They seemed almost otherworldly."

Erith dropped a few sticks onto the ashen pile and slid kindling beneath, drawing his metallic striker from his vest pocket.

"I found myself near Aurani Veneroth, the King's youngest daughter," he continued. "She was as imposing then as she is today. Imagine it—a royal family member abandoning the gilded halls to step into the ranks of the Illuminary. Who wouldn't be intimidated?"

A sheepish laugh caught in his throat. "I had the audacity to ask her about the drought. I felt foolish as soon as the words left my mouth. Yet for all her formidable presence, there was warmth behind her words."

"She said, 'If you listen closely, Kaida hums a harmony—chaotic, yet impossibly beautiful, like a song seeking its final note. Even now, its melody has never ceased.’"

The Vice Captain fell silent, fingertips brushing the edge of his vest. "Like the Murasi of late, I once thought it was just a tale... that the Illuminary were so powerful they could wield Kaida within themselves."

Erith stilled, the woodpile forgotten.

"Yet her words have stuck with me all these years. Tell me, does Kaida truly hum a song as she claimed?"

For a heartbeat, neither of them looked away, until Erith’s eyes shifted toward the dull glow of the Murasi.

"I never thought of it as music... more like an echo that's gone around so long you can't tell what it originally was, if that makes sense."

He held the torch near the kindling until it caught with a soft pop. Erith pulled out the Vice Captain’s gem from his pocket, its deep red hue catching in the growing firelight.

"Watch."

He tightened his grip around the gem. It flared to life, shining vibrantly in his palm.

At the same moment, a bright white light rippled through the air around the Murasi, sending the wolf-like figure scattering back a few steps.

As quick as the light from the gem came, it had faded. The clearing returned to the warm, flickering light of the fire, the crackling flames the only sound to disturb the silence.

"If it were a song, it'd be a different one every time, depending on the source of Kaida," Erith said calmly with a shrug.

Fascination seeped into the Vice Captain’s words. "You could stand among the Illuminary, perhaps even lead them. Live as royalty. But of course, you must know this..."

His fascination gave way to clarity. "Instead, you've brought me here, not to share this secret of yours, but to test my intentions—to judge whether you must reclaim your secret for yourself before the night ends."

The faintest flicker of amusement came across Erith's face.

"What are your intentions, Vice Captain?" His words were light, almost careless.

He studied Erith's face, the firelight casting deep shadows across his tired features. "You've been through the Balance, then?" he asked, his voice hushed, almost reverent.

Erith nodded once, a weary, but curious acknowledgement.

"...Do you mean harm to Aldarath?" He pressed.

Erith blinked, caught off guard by the question. For a moment, he almost laughed—him, harm a kingdom? He shook his head. "No."

"Then my intention is simple." The Vice Captain’s voice was steady. "Help me through the Balance, and in return, I'll keep your secret."

Erith's laugh was sharp, tinged with disbelief. "Is dying really that tempting to you? The Balance kills far more than it spares. You can't just want this."

"I'm standing before someone barely an adult who survived it," said the Vice Captain, eyes steady. "And shows a greatness I have never even dreamed of." He hesitated, the words seeming to surprise even him. "How old were you when you went through the Balance?"

"Younger than most. But it kills many—"

"I know what it does,” the Vice Captain cut in, his voice firm. “This world is incomprehensible. To me. To all of us. I can hardly remember a time when fear didn't shape every step. Every choice." 

"When I heard of the Balance, awakening the body to Kaida using the raw essence of the Murasi…I was drawn to it." He stepped closer to Erith. "Our existence sways so delicately between forces we barely grasp. If this is the step I must take to be able to understand more, then my best chance lies with you."

The Vice Captain's gaze steadied on Erith, his voice unwavering. "I don't tempt death, but I won't shy from it when understanding lies just beyond my reach."

Without a word, Erith turned and walked toward the Murasi, his steps unhurried.

Slowly stretching out his hand, he placed it gently on the glowing figure, his touch lingering for a brief moment, before he withdrew.

He turned and walked back toward the Vice Captain, who stood silently, tracking Erith's every step with a quiet awe.

“I’m tired of only surviving. I don’t know much more than you do—and I don’t know if that will be enough for the Balance to spare you.” He shifted between the stones arranged on the ground.

"Enjoy looking better rested than I do—for now. You'll need your nights for practice if you're serious about going through the Balance. Now, Vice Captain—"

"Please," the Vice Captain interjected, "just Maeric."

"Now, Maeric, I'll try to help you, but first, I'll need you to do more than keep a secret..." Erith's fingers brushed over the hilt of the blade before he flipped it and offered it back to him.

"Help me tempt death," Erith said firmly. "Hit me with the blade—just once."

Maeric froze, his grip hesitant as he stared at the blade now thrust back into his hands. "Erith, what—"

"Just do it," he urged, readying his stance.

"Curiosity can be a dangerous thing, Maeric, but maybe it's worth the risk." He gave Maeric a resolute nod.

Maeric raised the sword, adjusting his grip as he gauged the weight of the swing. He aimed high, intending to strike cleanly, but at the last moment, he pulled the swing towards Erith's arm instead.

The blade struck with a metallic clang, sharp and jarring, as though it had collided with steel. The force of the impact sent the sword flying from Maeric's grasp.

Before Maeric could react, a translucent distortion rippled between them, expanding outward from Erith in a sudden, forceful wave.

The energy hit Maeric like a solid wall, knocking him backward with a gasp.

He landed hard, the breath knocked from his lungs. The sword struck the ground with a dull thud, far from where they stood.

Maeric blinked, disoriented. A stone rolled beside him, with a line of scuffed earth pointing straight back to Erith, where the ring of stones now lay scattered across the clearing.

The translucent wave rippled outward into the woods. Maeric watched the Murasi’s distorted glow retreat into the trees until it vanished, leaving the clearing in silence.

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