Markus presses the knife to Kaiden’s neck. A small drop of blood appearing. At the small wound, a shower of light explodes out. The inn was plunged into chaos as a shower of light erupted from Kaiden, knocking everyone back except for Loden and Kaiden himself. Kaiden found himself floating in the air, the grip of Markus' hand gone. The patrons of the inn, who had been watching the confrontation, were now disoriented and confused, recovering from the unexpected event. Loden, despite being knocked back as well, quickly got to his feet and stared at Kaiden with wide eyes, shock and bewilderment written all over his face. As Kaiden is free floating. The small cut heals on his neck, Loden feels a small burn once again with his celestial mark. As Kaiden floated back down, he missed the bench and was about to land on Markus' chest, but at the last second, Loden intervened, catching him in a princess carry. The onlookers watched the scene unfold in confusion and disbelief; their gazes fixed on the two figures standing amidst the chaos. Loden held Kaiden in his arms, his grip firm and protective, his expression filled with a mixture of bewilderment and relief.

“Told you that I would protect you.” Loden says.

Kaiden quickly counters with, “You didn’t do that, that was all me.” Quickly grabbing his side as a sudden pain rushes through his side like burning coals laying on his skin.

Loden chuckled at Kaiden's response, his grip on the young man tightening slightly. "Yeah, yeah, you're a real hero," he retorted lightly. However, his smile faded as he noticed Kaiden suddenly grimace in pain, his hand grabbing his side.

"You okay?" Loden asked, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong?"

“My side, it’s on fire.” Kaiden taking deep long breaths slowly says. The pain being worse this time than the fatigue the last time.

Loden’s expression grew more worried as Kaiden described the intense pain in his side. Holding the young man closer, he gently lowered him onto the bench.

"Show me where it hurts," he said, his tone urgent but gentle. He watched Kaiden's pained expression, his own expression filled with concern.

But before Kaiden can say or show Loden his side. Markus and the other patrons slowly start to get up and begin to surround Loden and Kaiden, Loden quickly reacts. Without wasting a moment, he scoops Kaiden back up in a princess carry and dashes towards the inn's door. The patrons, surprised by the sudden escape, try to give chase, but Loden 's swift footwork and adrenaline help him maintain a decent speed as they flee the inn. Loden darts down the alley away from the inn and quickly ducks into a side street. He notices an abandoned, dilapidated house nearby and quickly ushers Kaiden and himself inside. Once safely inside, he gently sets Kaiden down, making sure he was comfortable. The house was old and crumbling, the air thick with dust and decay. Despite the decaying surroundings, the shadows provided by the broken walls offered them some concealment from any pursuers. Loden looks out making sure they weren’t followed. As Loden returns to Kaiden's side, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of pursuers, he takes notice of the young man's pained expression and the way he clutched at his side.

Loden knelt down next to him, his voice filled with concern. "Show me where it hurts, Kaiden," he repeated, gently reaching out to touch the young man's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Let me take a look."

As Kaiden carefully moved his hand away from his side and lifted up his shirt, Loden 's expression turned into one of both confusion and concern. The red rash on Kaiden's side, with its inflamed and heat-radiating skin, looked painful to the touch.

Loden leaned in closer, carefully examining the rash. "What the..." he muttered, his brow furrowing. "This doesn't look good. Whatever this is, it's not normal."

Loden listened as Kaiden spoke through gritted teeth, his voice strained. "The celestial wolf, the light," he repeated, his expression shifting as he tried to make sense of what the young man was saying.

Loden’s eyes widened as Kaiden winced in pain, his breathing labored. It was clear that speaking caused him agony. As the pain subsided momentarily, Loden looked at Kaiden, worry etched on his face. "The celestial wolf... What about it? What does it have to do with this pain?"

“The energy is too much. It’s hurting me.” Kaiden cries.

As Loden listened to Kaiden's explanation, his expression turned grave. "You can't handle the energy? You mean...the energy from the celestial wolf is too much for you? It's causing this pain?" Concern etched across his face, Loden tried to wrap his mind around Kaiden's words. He gently placed a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

As the pain seems to subside slightly with Loden 's touch, Kaiden speaks, his words coming out a bit easier. "It wasn't like this last time," he explained, his voice still strained but a bit stronger.

Loden noticed the change in Kaiden's condition, the pain seemingly lessening with his touch. He continued to keep his hand on the young man's shoulder, wondering if his touch was having a soothing effect on the pain. As the pain gradually faded under Loden 's comforting touch, both men were taken aback by the unexpected effect. Loden looked down in surprise at Kaiden's side, where the red rash was slowly receding. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"What's happening?" he whispered, his voice filled with both awe and confusion. He kept his hand in place, not wanting to break the contact that seemed to be alleviating Kaiden's pain.

As the rash finally faded away completely and the pain disappeared, Kaiden let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing as the discomfort lifted. He touched his side, where the rash had once been, a bewildered expression on his face.

"It's gone," he said, his voice tinged with wonder. "The pain...it's gone."

Loden was intrigued by this new development, his mind working to make sense of the situation. Why would his touch have such a strong effect on Kaiden's injury? Was there something more to this than met the eye?

"I don't understand," he murmured, his brow furrowed in thought. "Why is it that my touch...it seemed to be help you.”

Kaiden shrugs his shoulders unsure of the reason. Loden doesn’t want to leave it go. Loden continued to ponder the situation, his mind racing with questions and possibilities. He wasn't one to give up easily, determined to find answers. After a moment of intense thinking, a realization suddenly hit him.

"Wait a minute," he said, his eyes widening with realization. "Could it be... Could it have something to do with our celestial marks?"

Kaiden shakes his head, stating that he doesn’t have a mark. Loden 's theory seemed to fall short as Kaiden pointed out that he didn't have a celestial mark. Loden's expression turned more perplexed. If the marks weren't the reason for this connection, then what was?

"Right," he said slowly, still pondering the situation. "You don't have a mark... But then, why is it that my touch had this effect on you? This connection between us... it doesn't make sense."

The realization hit Loden like a lightning flash behind his eyes. All the pieces were falling into place. The light energy that had burst out of Kaiden in the inn, the light energy in the sky above the slave market. The celestial marks, and this new ability to dampen the energy... It all made sense now.

"Wait a minute," he said, his eyes going wide. "This energy...the same energy that gives us our powers... It's inside you as well. Thats what connects the priestess to the warriors. That's why my touch helped. I can dampen the energy’s effects on you. That's why it soothed the pain."

Kaiden's blue eyes widened at Loden's words, understanding slowly dawning on him. He had not considered that the celestial energy that coursed through him was the same energy that connected the priestesses to the warriors. He believed it only connected him to the celestial being.

"So...you're saying that your touch.. it can dampen the effects of this energy? That's why the pain subsides when you touch me? Is this going to happen every time that the power is released?”

Loden nodded grimly, a sense of dread settling in on him. "It seems that way," he said quietly. "When you release this energy, it hurts you... and the only way to alleviate that pain is for me to touch you. It seems as if this connection... this bond between us, is crucial for you to harness this power safely."

“Is this going to be the same with the other warrior as well? What if the power gets stronger? Are you going to be able to dampen the effects by yourself? This power is it going to kill me if we don’t complete the prophecy” Kaiden says with hurt emotions and with a heavy heart.

Loden’s expression softened, a mixture of concern and sadness in his eyes. He could see the fear and worry etched on Kaiden's face, and his own heart felt heavy with the weight of the situation.

"I don't know," Loden replied honestly. "This is unprecedented. We don't know the full extent of this power, or how strong it will become. But one thing is certain - if this power grows...if it continues to harm you every time you use it, then we need to find a way to control it."

Kaiden nods his agreement, not knowing what else to say. Loden quickly asks, “What happens right before the energy is released from your body? Are you thinking of something or is it a danger instinct maybe?”

Loden's question hung in the air, and Kaiden thought for a moment, trying to recall the moments leading up to the energy release.

"It's hard to say," Kaiden began, his voice a little shaky. "It's not like I'm thinking or focusing on anything in particular. It just kind of...happens. Maybe it's a danger instinct, like you said. It's like my body is reacting on its own, releasing the energy to protect itself or something."

“It’s your response to fear, you feel like your life is on the line.” Loden slams his fist in his open palm. “I shouldn’t have taken you into the inn like that. We could have gotten a room and eaten by ourselves. That would have been safer.”

Kaiden's blue eyes widened as he realized the truth in Loden's words. The energy release had been triggered by his fear, by the perceived threat to his life. He felt a pang of guilt for not trusting in Loden to protect him back at the inn.

"You're right," Kaiden said, his voice filled with remorse. "If I had been more careful with the hood... maybe this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry, Loden. I didn't think and wasn’t fully trusting you in that moment."

Loden heard the regret in Kaiden's voice, and his expression softened. He knew the young man had been trying his best to navigate a dangerous situation.

"Don't apologize," Loden replied, patting Kaiden's shoulder gently. "We're in this together. We're both learning and making mistakes along the way. That's not on you. We need to figure out how to control this power and find the other warriors, together."

“Right”, Kaiden cheering up a little. Loden tells Kaiden to rest and then they will head out once first light is upon them. They will head toward the capital. They would be safer there.

Kaiden nodded in agreement, knowing rest was essential. He settled himself on the floor, as comfortable as possible in the decaying house. Loden kept watch, his senses alert, as he waited for the first signs of sunrise. Kaiden slowly falls asleep, his body succumbing to fatigue and his full stomach.