My mind was a storm of questions as I followed Lyra through the winding backstreets of the capital. The glowing mark on my chest pulsed faintly beneath my shirt, a silent reminder that something inside me had changed. My whole body felt… off. Not in a painful way, but like I was running on a current I didn't understand—like there was something beneath my skin, waiting to explode.
"Lyra," I said, trying to keep my voice low but firm as I jogged to catch up to her. "Stop. I need answers. What is this thing inside me? Why did you do that to me?"
She looked back, her expression a mix of caution and irritation. She didn't slow down, just scanned the dim alley around us, listening. I could hear it too—boots on stone in the distance. Patrols. Still out hunting us.
"Not here," she muttered, voice barely more than a whisper. "We're too exposed. I'll explain at the harbor."
I wanted to push back—really push—but the urgency in her tone shut me up. Fine. I followed, sticking close as we weaved through alleys and darted past patrols. She moved like a shadow, every step calculated, like she'd done this a hundred times before. Me? I was just trying not to trip over my own feet.
---
The harbor opened up before us like another world. Crates stacked high, ships bobbing on dark water, the smell of salt and fish heavy in the air. Lanterns swayed on masts, casting gold reflections across the docks. Lyra led me behind a wall of cargo and finally stopped.
I leaned against a crate, breath coming hard. The mark on my chest glowed faintly, still there, still real. My whole body hummed with this strange warmth I didn't know how to handle. I looked at Lyra, my voice firm now.
"Okay. We're here. Talk."
She was silent for a second, eyes scanning the area again. Then she turned to me, her face serious.
"That cube—it's not just a box. It's an artifact. An ancient one. We call it the Arcana Core."
I stared. "Arcana Core?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "It's one of the most powerful things that exist. Pure Arcana energy. Enough to outmatch two of your empire's generals combined."
My breath caught. "Two generals? That's… no. That's impossible."
"I know what your generals are," she said sharply. "But this isn't normal Arcana. It's on another level. That's why the empire's desperate to get it. Anyone who controls the Core… controls a weapon beyond anything Kyrios has."
I instinctively touched the spot where it had entered me. The mark was warm against my fingertips. "But why me? Why not you?"
She looked away—and that's when I noticed the burns on her hands. Red. Raw. Fresh. My stomach twisted.
"I tried," she said quietly. "Tried to use it. Just touching it nearly ruined my hands. My plan was to plant it in you—to use your body to suppress the energy. Just for a little while. Long enough to get away without them tracking it."
Her eyes met mine, unreadable.
"I didn't expect you to survive. No one should've survived. And yet… you absorbed it. Like it chose you."
I swallowed hard. My head spun. "So… am I going to die?"
"I don't know," she said. "I've never seen anything like this. It was supposed to be temporary. But now the Core's in you. I don't know what that means."
---
Footsteps again. Closer this time. Lyra's eyes darted toward a ship pulling away from the docks. She turned back to me, voice low but urgent.
"Come with me," she said. "My homeland's far from here. Beyond Kyrios's reach. We'll be safe there. Maybe we can figure out what's happening to you."
I froze. My mind went straight to Mom. She was probably still at the kiosk, worrying. And Dad… he might be far away on assignment, but I couldn't just vanish on them. I couldn't abandon them like that.
"I can't," I said finally. "My family's here."
Lyra's jaw clenched, but she didn't argue. Not with words. Her palm suddenly glowed with Arcana energy. "I'm sorry," she whispered, regret flickering in her eyes. "But I can't risk you leading them to me."
Before I could move, her hand hit my chest. A burst of energy surged through me—but it fizzled out. Nothing. I didn't even flinch.
Lyra's eyes widened in disbelief. "What… how?"
"I don't know," I said, just as shaken. "But I'm not your enemy, Lyra. I just want to go home."
For a second, she looked like she might try again. But instead, she sighed and lowered her hand.
"Fine," she said. "But be careful, Kael. The empire won't stop until they get the Core back. And now that it's inside you… you're in more danger than you realize."
She turned and sprinted for the ship, cloak trailing behind her like a shadow melting into the night. I stood there, frozen, trying to process everything.
The walk back felt like something out of a dream—or a nightmare. My chest still glowed faintly. That hum of power hadn't faded. I didn't know what the Core had done to me, or why it hadn't killed me like it should've. But I knew one thing: I wasn't the same boy who'd gone out behind the kiosk a few hours ago.
When I finally got back, Mom was standing there, pale and frantic. The moment she saw me, she ran over.
"Kael!" she cried, pulling me into her arms. "Where have you been? I was so worried!"
I tried to smile, even though I could barely think straight. "I'm fine, Mom. I just… got caught up in something. But I'm okay now."
She looked at me for a moment, really looked. I could see the questions in her eyes, but she didn't ask them. Instead, she hugged me tighter.
That night, lying in bed, I stared up at the ceiling while the Core pulsed quietly under my shirt. It felt like a second heartbeat—steady, strange, alive.
I couldn't stop thinking about Lyra. About what she said. About what this meant. Was I still Kael.
What am I ?.